If Anyone Objects
by mindluver
Summary: While at Morgan's wedding, Garcia and Reid are the only two people at the BAU who believe Morgan's making a mistake. Garcia goes into recon mode while Reid tries to remain coherent because his secret crush is there with a woman. Can Garcia and Reid maintain their sanity while losing all hope in the love department? (Slash. Mature content, language, refs to violence. Def. AU.)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: _This is my first CM fanfic. It doesn't follow the CM timeline, but there are references to previous cases in the series. It's very much AU. If there are questions or confusing issues, please ask. I hope you'll give it a chance._

 _I do not own Criminal Minds, CBS Television, or any of the characters and story lines referenced in this work of fiction. All original characters and this plot are mine._

 **Chapter 1**

"I hate to say this out loud because I'm all about positive energy and spiritual harmony, but this is sadly the worst day of my life," Garcia complained as she adjusted her hat. It was a black feather number with a mini-veil. She was in the small entryway at the mirror in Spencer's apartment while he was in his bedroom, retying the silver tie bestowed upon him the night before at the rehearsal dinner.

" _This is for the best man…my best friend," Morgan had offered as a toast, presenting Spencer with the long, thin box containing the silver tie and a gift card to Spencer's favorite bookstore in Vienna. The other groomsmen…Marlin (Morgan's cousin), Rossi and Hotch were wearing black ties, but being the best man, Reid was expected to wear the silver tie._

 _Reid hated the silver tie because wearing it set him apart from the other groomsmen, and he hated to be singled out for any reason. Wearing the tie gave the impression he was supporting the marriage. Unlike everyone else in the BAU save Garcia, Reid didn't support the marriage at all._

 _After the rehearsal dinner, he and Garcia proceeded to drink their weight in Sangria, and both were suffering hangovers which only added to their lack of enthusiasm for the day._

"What can we do, Garcia? That woman is the mother of his child. You know how he feels about family. His mother and his sisters are his whole world, or they were until Nicky was born. Now, Morgan has a family of his own. We're his best friends, and I know you don't want him to quit BAU. We have to try to accept her or he'll leave us," Reid told her as he adjusted his newly shorn locks.

Morgan's fiancée had insisted Reid get a haircut for the wedding photos, and the pleading look Morgan gave him made him agree through gritted teeth. He hadn't expected the barber to cut it so short, but maybe shedding himself of the longer hair would help him turn over a new leaf he always thought he should. The new leaf where he could get beyond being a recovering drug addict in love with his boss. His boss who was a widower struggling to raise a son Spencer adored. A son Spencer had spent time with when Jessica Brooks needed to go home and Hotch needed to attend meetings he couldn't get out of or even just needed a little "me" time to decompress in ways the unit chief would rather not discuss, Reid knew.

"Nevertheless, I still believe Derek's parentage of that boy is suspect. The boy is thirteen-months. I've looked at it every way come Sunday, and at the time of alleged conception, we were in Austin on a case for a month," Garcia stated with a bit of venom in her voice which made Reid smile.

"Ah, yes. The River Walk Strangler. That case was more difficult than usual because we didn't factor in a female body builder who had an affinity for smaller men who were intimidated by her to the point of rebuking her advances. The fact she killed five of them before we were able to catch her was unfortunate," Reid told her as he walked down the hallway to the living room where Garcia was refreshing her lipstick.

"What's with the black dress and hat? I know it's customary not to wear white, or outshine the bride on her special day, but black seems a little…" Reid surmised.

"Gruesome? Well, I'm in mourning. As you well know, I'm in love with Derek and he'll never see me as potential marriage material. That's why Kevin and I couldn't make it long term. He had the audacity…well, never mind. I have to say, that woman Derek's supposedly in love with? She's got a lot of red flags around her. I've been doing some digging…"

Reid cut her off before she could confess the felonies she'd committed in the name of love. They'd vowed the night before while drowning their respective sorrows not to discuss Morgan or Hotch, but it seemed that treaty had expired. "I thought Morgan asked you not to do that," he reminded as he looped her hand through the crook of his elbow and led her to the door.

Tarrying any longer would make them both late for the nuptials about which neither cared. They did, however, care for their best friend, so they would do what was expected and at least show up on time.

There was another reason Reid wasn't looking forward to the wedding, and while he certainly didn't want to discuss it with Garcia at that moment, the woman was too intuitive and brought it up anyway. "I thought you made a promise not to pine for Hotch anymore? You told me you were going to try to put it behind you. What happened to the meditation CDs I gave you? They didn't work for me but I had hopes for you," Garcia told him. Meditating away his feelings for Aaron Hotchner was never going to happen, and if Garcia thought Reid could still his mind enough to pay attention to some strange guy chanting unintelligible gibberish at him, she didn't really know him at all.

"Garcia, we're both guilty of falling in love with unattainable people. It's a lot more difficult to back off than I believe either of us thought," he told her as they went to the curb to wait for the car service Morgan insisted upon to bring them into the city.

Once they were in the car, Reid turned to her. "Okay, so we're in awkward positions because I think Hotch is coming to the wedding with Emily, and well, Morgan is getting married. Let's agree we won't leave each other in the lurch when things like dancing start? I love Emily like a sister, but seeing her with Aar…Hotch…that's too much," Reid explained.

When Garcia laughed, Reid was caught off guard. "What?" he asked.

"My beautiful, young genius, about certain things, you're not so smart. Emily and Hotch aren't coming together. Our Miss Prentiss has no desire to do anything with our illustrious leader than perhaps take the lead on a case when he and Jack go on vacation. Of course, Rossi will defer to her for many reasons we don't have time to discuss right now," Garcia suggested with a twinkle in her eye Reid hadn't seen in a while.

Just as he was about to question her regarding her intel on the matter, the car stopped in front of the church in DC where Morgan's wedding was set to take place. The two inhabitants looked out with dread.

Reid could see Hotch with Morgan, his mother and sisters, and Prentiss as the group laughed at something Morgan had said. He could see Rossi holding Henry as JJ adjusted her dress, Will smiling brightly next to her.

Just then, Jack Hotchner ran over to his dad with a big grin on his face. The six-year-old was amazing. Reid had spent time with him at Quantico on more than one occasion while Aaron was working and Jess wasn't available to babysit. Reid had also stayed with the boy so Aaron could attend a grief support group Strauss had insisted upon once Aaron returned to active duty and resumed his position as Unit Chief after Foyet's death.

Aaron didn't want the rest of the team to know because he feared they'd lose faith in him. It was a tightrope Hotch walked, in Reid's opinion, but being in love with the man meant he'd do anything to help Hotch maintain his control over his life and his grief.

Reid had taught the boy a few magic tricks because he truly cared about Jack as much as he'd come to care about Henry. When the day came for Hotch to marry some woman, Reid wanted to be supportive of the new family. He wouldn't think of the boy as anything other than his boss's son.

"It's now or never, Reid," Garcia sighed, taking his hand.

As Spencer Reid looked around at the people standing outside the church before the ceremony, he noticed a man he'd seen before…a man from a crime scene crowd. "Um, yeah. You go ahead inside and take a seat. I'll be in the processional, hating it," he joked as he took in the other guests.

He noticed the man didn't look happy, and it was then he remembered the day…well, night… Morgan had met his future wife…Magret Petrov. It was a nightclub stabbing in a small place in southeast DC…a fourth stabbing in the area in as many weeks. DCPD had called them in to work each crime scene because they'd received 9-1-1 calls moments before each stabbing took place.

 _At each crime scene, which resulted in the demise of a random twenty-something from out of town with no apparent ties to the area, Spencer had noticed the platinum blonde in the crowd. At the first crime scene, she'd observed the events from the sidelines with a man at her side, though it didn't appear the two were actually together. At the next three crime scenes, she'd come forth with details, and she'd gravitated toward Morgan to give her statement. During review of the evidence, Morgan had dismissed her as an overzealous witness, and she was let go without a second thought. Morgan refused to listen to Reid when he said something wasn't right regarding the woman's demeanor while giving her statements. As Reid saw it, she was asserting herself into the investigation but Morgan told Reid he didn't know enough about women to be able to make that judgement call._

 _Reid reminded Morgan her detailed description of the UnSub at each scene pointed to someone in the crowd who was later cleared. In Reid's opinion, she was trying to misdirect the focus, but Morgan had laughed at him._

 _The rest of the team, including Hotch, chalked her up to being a law enforcement groupie just wanting to be given attention by a man in uniform. When Morgan went to her place after the UnSub was finally caught, he said it was to thank her for her assistance in the case. That was how the two of them got together._

 _Magret was a Russian student…allegedly. Garcia advised at a group luncheon that the young woman wasn't enrolled at American University as she had claimed, but at an on-line university…East America University. EAU happened to be a bullshit school barely accredited in Massachusetts, but with Magret's job at the Russian Embassy in DC, it was enough to keep her Student Visa current. Of course, that was when Morgan mandated Garcia not run a background check on his new 'girlfriend'._

 _When Magret made her play for Morgan, nobody saw through the farce…with the exception of Reid and Garcia. Hotch said she was legit, and all concerns seemed to die down with his stamp of approval, which Reid thought was misgiven. Hotch was distracted by something else, and Reid determined he wasn't seeing things clearly, but he wasn't gutsy enough to confront the man._

 _Morgan dated her for two months before he left for Austin with the team. After he returned, she claimed to be pregnant. The due date was changed three times before the child was finally born, and until he was born with a beautiful caramel complexion and a head full of blonde hair, several members of the team questioned the paternity, but in the end, they shut up and supported their friend and colleague._

Reid made his way over to the scowling man and smiled at him. "Hey, could I bum one? I'm out, and I didn't have time to run to the store," he lied. Smoking cigarettes was the last thing Spencer ever wanted to do, what with the statistics associated with the abhorrent habit and injurious nature of the addiction itself running through his head unbidden, but if it got the guy to engage, he was willing to perhaps spend six minutes of his life clock inhaling the carcinogens to get to the bottom of what the man was doing at the wedding.

"Sure," the man responded as he offered the pack to Spencer. The cigarettes were a generic, filtered brand. He flipped the pack to see the tax stamp on the bottom wasn't from the area…it was from North Carolina which gave Spencer pause, but he took one and handed the pack to the man.

"Thanks. Bride or groom?" Reid asked as he frisked his body as if he was looking for a lighter or matches. The blonde stranger rolled his eyes and offered Spencer a pack of matches.

"Bride. She's my cousin. I work at UN in New York. When she sent me invitation, I wasn't coming, but she insisted. Her parents, they are not happy about marriage. They're from the old country and refused to come to wedding. They aren't happy about Nicky either, but Magret, she doesn't care. She's forgotten her roots and her responsibilities to family. I'm supposed to try to talk her into going home. By looking at her, I see it's futile," the man told Spencer. The thick accent didn't escape the agent's notice.

In the meantime, Reid had lit the cigarette and slid the matchbox into the pocket of his waistcoat. He was about to ask another question when he felt a tug on his left pant leg. Looking down, he saw Jack Hotchner, and he couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, Little Hotch. What's up? Where's your dad?" He stooped down to meet the boy at eye level. He glanced up to see the Russian man watching him carefully…as if he knew to whom Jack belonged and wondered what Reid's link to the boy might be. Reid didn't like the vibe he was getting from the man, so getting Jack away became a priority.

"Over 'dere," Jack commented as he pointed to Hotch talking to the Smithsonian curator, Beth Clemmons, his apparent date for the festivities. She was laughing at whatever Hotch had said, and she had her hand on his chest, fingers caressing the lapel of his tuxedo in a far-too-familiar way. Spencer felt his stomach roll at the sight.

He'd been there the day Hotch met Beth Clemmons. It was a field trip to the _American History Museum_ for Jack's school, six-months after Haley's murder. Spencer had vacation days to use, so he volunteered to come along for moral support of the Hotchner men…not really altruistically. Spending time with them was a craving, and he satisfied it as often as he could.

The woman had come on like gang busters, gushing over Jack and his friends as she gave them a behind the scenes tour at the museum. At the time, Hotch was too messed up to even notice. Spencer, however, was not.

"Ah, well, we better go get you settled with JJ and Henry. It's all supposed to start soon," Reid suggested. He tossed the unsmoked, smoking cigarette to the street, hoping the Russian didn't notice he'd never taken a real puff, and he hurried away with Jack. The day was going to be long and difficult, of that he was sure.

Reid spent the rest of the day trying to run surveillance on the bride and her "cousin." He'd caught the two of them arguing outside the reception hall when he stormed out after seeing Hotch dancing with Beth Clemmons, needing a distraction from the hell raging in his head at the sight.

Reid quickly grabbed his cell phone and remained concealed while the two people argued. After the bride hurried back inside the reception hall, Reid turned off his phone's recording app and forwarded the recording to Garcia.

Something wasn't right, and he wasn't about to let it go. He wanted Morgan happy, but he didn't believe for a minute Magret was the key to that happiness. He needed to save his friend, and he'd do anything he could to make sure it happened.

 _Thank you reading….xoxo_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow._

…

Chapter 2.

The ringing phone pissed off Reid. He reached for it on the nightstand and sat up, clapping his hands to turn on the bedside lamp because the blackout shades in his bedroom left it draped in total darkness at any given time. He saw it was Hotch on the phone, so he didn't hesitate to answer. "Reid."

"Hey, Reid. I'm sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming over to stay with Jack? I've been called down to Richmond to testify at a parole hearing in the morning, and I have to meet with the US Attorney down there this afternoon. I know it's a lot to ask of you to give up your Sunday and Monday, but Jack asked for you specifically since Jess is out of town," Hotch explained.

For a quick moment, Reid almost suggested Hotch call Beth Clemmons, but he soon got his jealousy under control and cleared his throat. "Sure. I don't mind. What time do you need to head to Richmond?"

"Uhhh…my meeting is at three. Why don't you come over around lunchtime? I'll grill some burgers and you and Jack can get settled so he's not upset when I leave?" Hotch suggested.

Reid glanced at the clock seeing it was just after eight in the morning. "Sounds good. I'll bring something for dessert. See you later," he responded before signing off. Reid was grateful he'd stuck to ginger ale the night before at the reception. His previous hangover with Garcia was too fresh in his mind to want to relive another.

He'd seen Hotch, Jack, and Beth Clemmons leave the reception at ten, Jack's head lolling on Hotch's shoulder as the guests tossed birdseed at the couple before they left for Dulles for the ten-day honeymoon Morgan had planned.

They were taking Nicky along, and Reid really wondered how much of a honeymoon a couple could have in Miami with an infant. The boy was only just over a year old, but from what Reid had overheard, the vacation was Magret's choosing. Reid wondered about it, but quickly pushed away his concerns. He had plans to make which had no tie to Morgan, his bride, or the farce of a marriage.

##

Reid rang the buzzer at Hotch's apartment building in Lake Ridge. After Haley and Hotch divorced, he'd moved into the two bedroom place, and Reid had been in the moving party. After Haley was murdered in their old home in Oakton, Hotch had paid to have it cleaned up and painted before selling it, putting the profit into an account for Jack's future.

After hopping out of the cab because his car's battery was dead, Reid pressed the button on the intercom outside of Hotch's apartment building.

"Hello?"

"It's me, Reid."

"Come on up." Reid heard a whooping in the background that sounded like Jack. It made him smile.

He'd stopped at a bakery near his apartment building to pick up some cupcakes, knowing Jack's preference for chocolate fudge, versus Garcia's preference for red velvet.

 _He used to bring Garcia her favorite cupcakes…red velvet. Those cupcakes became a key bribe to get Garcia to look into things off the record from time to time. Maybe write a program allowing the boy genius to purchase premium tickets to Comi-Con as soon as they became available or get a booking at a premium hotel near the venue…which had been sold out for at least a year? The two of them had a great time when they went together._

 _After Garcia and Kevin Lynch broke up, she no longer ate red velvet cupcakes. Reid had to find another angle, and he did…adult coloring books. He'd seen them on TV one night when he couldn't sleep, and he'd ordered six. Garcia loved them because they allowed her to mindlessly explore her whimsical side, and a new bribe was born._

 _Reid put out feelers at several small bookstores for unique coloring books and he'd found several stores who were willing to oblige him. When new books came out, the shops called and he made purchases in order to have books at the ready, just in case. It was a perfect arrangement in his eyes._

Once the elevator stopped, Reid strolled off and took a deep breath, trying to squelch the memory of Aaron Hotchner in a tux just the night before. He'd been gorgeous, and Reid had blocked out the memory of his self-love session in the shower while thinking about how damn hot Hotch looked as he worked the room.

"Who's dere?" Reid heard through the door after he knocked his usual seven-beat knock.

"Dr. Spencer Reid. Who's dere?" he teased.

He heard the giggle as the door opened. There stood Jack in shorts and a ' _Nationals'_ t-shirt with a smile as wide as the universe, in Spencer's opinion.

Reid dropped to his knees to be at the boy's level and shuffled closer while pulling the box of cupcakes from behind his back. "I brought treats," he whispered to the boy, seeing Hotch enter the hallway with a bright smile.

"YESSSSS!" Jack shrieked which brought a laugh from both men. Hotch walked forward, taking the container from Reid and offering his hand to help him off his knees. After Reid rose, Hotch didn't let go for a minute, which surprised the younger profiler while thrilling him just the same.

After Reid's go bag and messenger bag were placed on the floor in the hallway, he settled with a Coke on the deck with Hotch. Jack was on a Skype call with Haley's mother in Manassas, and the two men went outside to give him privacy, not that a six-year-old really needed it.

"So, where are you going?" Reid asked as he pushed his sunglasses up his nose, trying to distract himself from seeing Hotch's ass in a pair of jeans that fit extremely well.

"Buckingham. It's an old case from my first year with the BAU after relocating from Seattle. The guy is serving life, but he's up for compassionate release since he's suffering from lung cancer. He brutally butchered eight men. They were all gay, and he hunted them like they were animals. I don't give a flying fu…crud if he's got lung cancer or not. What he did to those young men…no. I can't let him get out to live his last days in some nursing home. The prison infirmary is more than he deserves," Hotch explained as he turned the burgers.

Reid was surprised by the passion in Hotch's voice at the description of the crime. Most straight men didn't react with so much emotion at hate crimes directed at people who lived lifestyles with which they weren't familiar.

Thinking for a moment, he hit upon something to discuss. "I'm glad to hear there are people out there who still look out for those who don't always have a voice. Do you have a position on homosexuality?"

Reid heard a low chuckle as Hotch flipped the burgers onto a plate. "You mean a _favorite_ position?"

He looked at Hotch's face to see a smile. Reid didn't know what to make of it, so he pressed forward. "I mean, are you in the camp of choice? As in it's a choice people make?"

"Let's eat while these are hot. Jack didn't sleep well last night so he might want a nap this afternoon, but if you want him in bed by a decent hour, don't let him sleep more than an hour. Trust me when I tell you, he's not easy to get to bed," Hotch explained as he carried the burgers in from the balcony, placing them on the already set table. Reid didn't fail to notice his question had gone unanswered.

"I think we'll be fine. I've got a few tricks up my sleeves," Spencer teased. He hoped he did anyway. A rambunctious six-year-old might be a challenge he wasn't equipped to handle. Serial killers, rapists, arsonists? He had confidence he could stay one step ahead of them. A six-year-old boy with a lot of energy? That was the question even _he_ couldn't answer.

…

Kicking a black and white soccer ball at the park down the street wasn't Reid's favorite thing to do, but it _did_ help to tire out Jack and keep him entertained at the same time. After dinner, a shower, and a Disney movie on the television, Spencer was more than happy to put Jack to bed at nine o'clock that night. After half a chapter in Jack's favorite 'chapter' book, Spencer left on the night light and left the bedroom door open in the event the boy woke and needed him.

Spencer went to the kitchen and surveyed the damage. He wasn't a cook, really. He could make rudimentary dishes to keep himself alive, but after he'd exhausted the list of things he could prepare without instruction, Jack pulled out a cookbook and opened it to a page outlining home-made macaroni and cheese with bacon.

The boy read the ingredient list and pulled out everything with Spencer's guidance. The happy look of expectation was more than Spencer could take, so he read the recipe carefully and pulled out his phone to look up terms with which he was unfamiliar…like something called a béchamel sauce.

Between the six-year old and the twenty-nine-year old, they pulled it off and even had leftovers for Spencer to take to the office for lunch on Monday after he dropped Jack at day camp. It was a win-win.

Just as Reid was turning off lights after washing the dishes and cleaning the pots from the meal, a phone rang. He reached for his own cell before he remembered plugging it into the outlet in the spare room to charge.

He turned to the wall and found a phone lighting up and ringing on the counter. He took a deep breath and answered. "Hotchner residence. May I help you?"

"Reid, it's me, Hotch. I called your cell but it went to voicemail. How's Jack?" Spencer heard.

"He's sleeping, actually. I took him down the street to the park and we kicked a soccer ball…well, he kicked it at me and I retrieved it and rolled it back. I'm not very athletic, as you might have guessed. How, um, how was the drive?" Reid asked, not sure what to talk about with his boss. He did, however, remember his ramblings, for which he was famous, got on Hotch's nerves. He'd worked hard to determine when his ramblings were helpful and when they were just…ramblings. He was internalizing a lot more information than previously, and he hadn't heard anyone from his team complain.

"The drive sucked because people are headed to the beaches down 95-South. I had my meeting and I got my point across to the attorney down here. I don't think I'll be getting home late tomorrow, but would you mind picking up Jack from camp in case I am? I left the keys to the other car on the rack in the kitchen. Take it to work tomorrow. Jack's booster is in the back seat," Hotch told him.

Spencer was caught off guard a bit. He'd assumed Hotch would be home in time to pick up Jack or at least Jess would be back. Of course, if that wasn't the case, he'd be more than happy to retrieve the boy from camp and entertain him until his father returned. It wasn't a chore to spend time with Jack. Spencer truly enjoyed it.

There was a horrible silence on the other end of the phone. At first, Spencer thought perhaps Hotch was busy reviewing something and had forgotten he was on a call or perhaps the call had been dropped, but when the older agent cleared his throat, Spencer was surprised by how fast his own heart was pounding.

"So, you guys had a good time?" Hotch asked.

"Jack had a good time, I think. I, however, lack the skills to run and dribble a soccer ball. I looked it up on my phone, but reading the specifics and the physical mechanics of the act versus putting it into practice are two very different things.

"Jack and I reached a gentleman's agreement whereby he kicked the ball at me; I caught and/or chased it; and I tossed it back. It wasn't elegant in the world of soccer training, but it worked enough to tire him out so he went to bed with only one chapter of the book you two are reading. I wouldn't have figured you for a Potter-ite," Spencer teased.

He heard Hotch chuckle on the other end of the phone, and he couldn't help but smile. "I'm sure he was more than happy with your efforts, Reid. Yes, Jack and I are reading the Potter series, but it's more because he's heard the big kids talk about it than the fact either of us are intrigued with wizardry. The stories are well-written, and the first book is age appropriate with a little paraphrasing on my behalf. With the pace I plan to move through the books, he'll grow up with Harry and Ron. So, what are you reading these days?" Hotch asked, cleanly changing the subject.

The question, which couldn't be interpreted any other way than personally, caught Spencer Reid off guard. Aaron Hotchner never asked him personal questions.

"Uh, well, I recently re-read ' _The Fountainhead'_ by Ayn Rand. I've always been drawn to an anti-hero like Howard Roark. His conviction to buck convention reminds me not to judge books by their covers, so to speak," Reid explained.

"I love her work. I ran across a copy of ' _We the Living_ ' in a bookstore in Old Town. If you've never read it, it's in my room in the bookcase by the window. She said it was the closest thing to her autobiography as she'd ever venture. It was before the book you're reading, but you might like it. Considering how fast you read, you'll finish it tonight but maybe it'll be a nice change-of-pace?" Hotch asked.

Reid could feel his cheeks heat at the reference to his superior's bedroom. "I appreciate the offer, but I respect your privacy. If you'll bring it to work sometime, I'd love to borrow it," he offered.

He heard Hotch clear his throat again. "Look, sleep in my room. That spare bed is actually pretty awful, so I'm giving you permission to go into my room, Spencer. If Jack wakes, his first inclination will be to go into my room, and if he finds the bed empty, he might be troubled. It's for the best, really."

At the time, Reid thought it odd Hotch had suggested he sleep in his bed, but the logic was there, and the logic made sense to Reid so he didn't question it. "Okay. That makes sense. Any idea how the hearing will go tomorrow?" Reid asked as he walked down the hallway to Aaron's sanctuary.

He walked into the room and turned on the overhead, ceiling-fan light, taking in the décor…blue and brown was the bedding, and the walls were the usual sterile beige in all apartment buildings. The bed looked inviting, so Reid kicked off his shoes and climbed aboard, resting his back against the pillows.

"I'm pretty sure it's going to be awful because I'm going against my gut here. My humanity tells me I should be supportive of the State moving the man to hospice care because he needs pain management meds the prison isn't authorized to administer. That's the humane thing to do.

"Unfortunately, the case stayed with me. Those men didn't deserve the death sentence they received from that man. The things that monster did to his victims makes me believe the psychopath doesn't have one ounce of humanity in him so why should we give him any consideration whatsoever? It's awful to say, but he deserves what he's enduring," Hotch told Reid.

The younger agent could tell it wasn't a statement made lightly, and he respected the man's conviction. It was rare for men to live their convictions, in Reid's opinion.

"' _Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.'_ Martin Luther King, Jr., was a great man," Reid quoted, hoping to make Aaron more comfortable with his decision to stand his ground.

"Yes, well, FDR said, _'I ask you to judge me by the enemies I've made.'_ If that's true, I'm happy to be judged by this enemy because I have no compassion for the bastard. He should die the most horrible death available," Hotch told him.

Reid could hear the malice in his boss's voice, and he could understand it. They'd witnessed unspeakable things in their time with the BAU, and it was hard to erase certain memories, even without eidetic memory.

He took a deep breath. "I'd suggest you not let this one get into your head any more than it already has. Clearly, it means a lot to you to keep him behind bars, so go to the hearing. Give your assessment, remind the parole board of his crimes, and let them do their job. It's not up to you if he stays behind bars, Hotch. It's up to the people on the board. Trust the system."

He heard Hotch let go a deep breath. "You're right, Spencer. I have to give it a chance to do what it was designed to do. Anyway, I'll be home tomorrow. Are you busy on Friday night? Jess wants to take Jack to a play at a Children's Theater in Reston, and I'd like to repay you for staying with Jack. We can get dinner," Hotch offered.

Reid felt his hopes rising, and he couldn't let them get away from him regarding Hotch or his heart would be crushed, so he lied. "I'm sorry, Hotch, but I've got a date on Friday night."

There was an uncomfortable silence, and then a soft chuckle. "Sure. I didn't…of course. I understand. Beth offered to cook for Jack and me on Friday night, so I guess I'll take her up on her offer. I'll repay you some other way, Reid. Thank you again," Hotch responded.

After they hung up, Reid wanted to swan-dive off the balcony of Hotch's building, but he had more sense than to do such a thing. Hell, that was the problem, really. His brain overruled his heart at every avenue. It was a torment he'd learned to live with over the time he'd been with the BAU and had become infatuated with Aaron Hotchner. It just reinforced the old saying…life isn't fair. Damn right. Life wasn't fair.

…

 _I'd like to hear from anyone who might be reading. Thank you._


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thank you for reading and reviewing. I truly appreciate being given a chance. Here's the next installment. ENJOY!_

 _I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow._

…

Chapter 3.

Aaron Hotchner sat in the room at the prison where the parole hearing was being held. He ran through the various thoughts in his head and came to the same conclusion. He'd given it a lot of thought, but he couldn't change his mind. When he was called to offer his testimony, he took a deep breath and began to speak.

"I've seen the destruction this man was capable of when he was healthy, and I say to you: please don't offer him a peaceful exit from this life. The horrific things he purported on his victims should be proof enough to you he's never felt remorse for his actions. He's a psychopath who doesn't have the capacity to feel remorse for his actions. Why, at this stage of his life, should the citizens of this State show compassion for his plight?

"It's in your hands, but I ask you to take into account all of the damage he's done in his life…all of the pain he's caused with the deaths of those men. He didn't care about their well-being or who would mourn them when they were gone from this life. Why should the State care about him?" Aaron Hotchner stated as he stood before the Parole Board to give his statement as a witness to the horrific actions of the accused.

He exited the room and went to the hallway to take a seat, awaiting the decision of the board. He pulled out his phone to check his messages, having felt it buzzing in his pocket during his testimony…or rant. He wasn't sure what it was, really.

 _The passion for justice he had developed since Foyet had killed Haley…Jack's mother…had left him somewhat confused. Injustice wasn't acceptable, which was why he was in Richmond in the first place. He hadn't been able to save Haley. Even though they'd decided they couldn't be together any longer, Aaron still loved her, and the evil she'd suffered when she was murdered was his fault. He accepted that guilt. He lived with it. No question about it._

 _The one person to pierce his self-imposed, guilt bubble was Spencer Reid…Dr. Spencer Reid. The kid, who was seven-years his junior, had actually been a breath of fresh air. He'd come into Hotch's life quietly, befriending him outside of the confines of the FBI when Hotch and Haley divorced. He'd offered support and a listening ear many times, but none so much as in the aftermath of Haley's death. It was what Hotch needed at the time, and Reid had given it to him._

 _It wasn't really strange to Hotch that he was attracted to Spencer on a physical level. He'd always known he was at least a 'Kinsey 3', though he was reluctant to admit it, even to himself. Over the years, it had ratcheted up when it came to Spencer Reid. The fact he saw the young man every day hadn't helped. He'd never mentioned it to Haley, but he knew she suspected something wasn't exactly square when it came to the two of them. She'd never confronted Hotch about it, but he knew she thought something wasn't right with him when he was around Spencer Reid._

 _When they'd have gatherings at their house over the years and Spencer was anywhere in the vicinity, Hotch had a hard time controlling the sheer joy he felt being near the young man. Haley had noticed on more than one occasion, and Hotch hated seeing it in her eyes when they went to bed and he wouldn't touch her. That, plus Hotch's job, had contributed to their divorce, he was certain, but Haley had never mentioned Reid to him. That wasn't her style at all, and Aaron was truly grateful._

 _Of course lately, Hotch was feeling like a Kinsey 4.5, but likely it was because he wasn't sure what the hell to do with his attraction to Reid. The support the young genius had provided in the months after Haley's death had been a godsend to Aaron and Jack. Without Reid, Hotch wasn't sure how they'd have survived._

 _All of the wedding business with Morgan hadn't really helped ease the feelings Hotch had for the young man because seeing Reid in a tux and watching him interact with Jack? It was hell because at the end of the day, he was Reid's boss. Plain and simple._

"Agent Hotchner, the Board is back if you'd like to sit in," the guard offered as Aaron held his cup of vending machine coffee in his hand, being drawn from his daydreams of Spencer Reid.

He dumped the cup into the trash and rose from his seat, following the guard into the room to take a seat in the back. He'd noticed a few officers he remembered from the investigation, and he couldn't help but notice how they'd all aged, himself included. Time went by without consent.

Aaron listened, like everyone else in the room, to the justification of the Parole Board. They'd made comments regarding the model behavior of the rapist/murderer while he was incarcerated, and they'd mentioned the testimony his family had offered in support of his release and how they'd be available to care for the man when he was moved into a care facility better equipped than the prison hospital.

They commented on the medical report regarding the fact the man was in the end-stages of life, and they mentioned the prison's inability to offer sufficient pain management therapies for the prisoner. Aaron knew all of it.

"So, we come to the time when a decision is necessary, and it wasn't made with ease, nor without great thought, I can guarantee it," the lead counsel for the Parole Board stated.

"There are many definitions of justice, but when one looks at applicability in this instance, the fitting definition appears to be ' _the moral principle determining just conduct_ '. When we consider moral principles, we realize they can be a fluid concept, but in this instance, we have to consider the act or acts that caused Mr. Clairmont to be incarcerated in the first place. After weighing those events, we have to consider what Mr. Clairmont might do if he was released and went into remission. We cannot, with a clear conscience, afford Mr. Clairmont one day to perhaps feel strong enough to leave a private medical facility and kill again.

"He's shown no remorse for his actions, and he's still very vocal regarding his disdain for homosexuals. While the possibility of the act is slight, we must consider what Mr. Clairmont might do if given opportunity.

"After weighing all of the evidence provided, along with the testimonies, we have come to a unanimous decision that Mr. Harlan Clairmont is hereby remanded to the custody of the Buckingham Prison Hospital. Compassionate release is denied," the officer announced.

Aaron didn't know the woman who presided over the Board, but he'd always be appreciative of her. She saw past the bullshit and the Board had been guided to do the right thing. Those young men…Clairmont hadn't given them any consideration, but someone was hearing their voices. That was why Hotch had driven to Richmond in the first place. To see justice served, and thankfully, in his eyes, it _was_ that day.

##

"Anyone heard from my Chocolate Adonis?" Garcia asked as they all sat in the breakroom on Monday morning enjoying the slow day they were privy to since Hotch was in Richmond and Rossi had taken a personal day due to car trouble.

Spencer doubted it was car trouble. After considering Garcia's comments before the wedding and observing behavior at the reception, Reid had an inkling Emily Prentiss had put Rossi through his paces on Sunday and the older agent needed the extra day to recover. Plus, Prentiss was walking a little funny, Spencer observed.

JJ laughed. "First off, Garcia, I'm pretty sure the new Mrs. Morgan won't be thrilled to hear the pet names you and Morgan have for each other, so you might as well start breaking the habit. Second, the man's on his honeymoon. I doubt any of us will hear from him."

That honeymoon comment jogged Spencer's memory regarding the cousin and his odd behavior, plus the fight he'd witnessed and recorded outside the reception venue. Spencer rose from his seat and went to refill his mug. "I think JJ's right, Garcia. By the way, I sent you something over the weekend. Did you get it?" he asked trying not to draw the suspicion of the other two women in the room.

"Honestly, Boy Wonder, I haven't even logged into my system over the weekend. I told you I'm in mourning," the usually bubbly young woman responded without enthusiasm.

Reid thought for a minute and smiled. "I know. Let's go take your mind off your troubles. I need you to see if you can clean up audio on something I stumbled across." He turned to JJ and Prentiss and smiled. "Hotch isn't in today, so if you want a long lunch or something, I'll cover."

Both women smiled. "Thanks, Reid. We might take you up on it. There's a sale at _Lord & Taylor_ and I need an outfit for the DCPD picnic next weekend. Will's new partner will be there, and I've looked her up. I damn well need to look better than her at that party," JJ complained, bringing a laugh from everyone in the room.

"Unless his new partner is straight off a runway in Milan, I'd say you have nothing to worry about," Prentiss offered in support.

Reid didn't want to get caught up in any sort of ego stroking because Emily was also a beautiful woman, and he was sure she knew it as well. It was wasting time…precious time he believed they'd need, though he wasn't sure why. "Yes, well, you do as you wish. Keep your phones on in case Strauss calls. Garcia?" he beckoned.

He could see the woman he revered as a sister was hesitant to leave the gossip session he felt was coming on, but he knew what he had to tell Garcia would be far more interesting than who got caught with porn on their Bureau-issued laptop or who got caught in the locker room in a compromising position.

Once they were in Garcia's domain, Reid took a seat in the rolling chair next to her as she booted up her system. "Okay, Sexy Genius, what's this about? I wouldn't have minded a shopping day with the girls if you were offering," Garcia complained as she began tapping away at her keyboards to login to all of her computers. For a minute, Reid wished he wasn't a technophobe, but that feeling fled quickly.

"Ah, here it is. An audio file from Saturday? Background, Mensa Boy," Garcia demanded.

Reid took a deep breath and began to explain. "Okay, before the wedding, I noticed a guy milling around outside the church I recognized from those crime scenes in Southeast last year. He was always in the crowd when we showed up, but he kept in the background. Anyway, I saw him at the church on Saturday.

"I decided to engage him in conversation, and he told me he was Magret's cousin. He said he works at the UN in New York, but when I bummed a cigarette from him, the pack had a tax stamp from North Carolina.

"Later, I happened to be outside and heard Magret and the guy arguing. I turned on the recording app on my phone because I hoped it would pick up the conversation better than I could. My mind was occupied elsewhere, so I couldn't really give my full attention, but I recorded it. Can you listen and maybe clean it up? Filter out extraneous noise and maybe we can figure out what they were arguing about," Spencer explained.

He could see by the light in Garcia's eyes she was fully on board with digging any dirt she could about Magret Petrov. He knew she already had a file on the woman she was itching to share, and for the sake of Morgan and little Nicky, Reid was ready to listen.

"Okay, the New York thing doesn't surprise me because unlike the story _Icey_ gave Morgan, she didn't enter the country on a Student Visa. She has family in Brighton Beach who vouched for her. Ummmm," Garcia hummed out as she searched for a file on her computer. She pulled it up and put it on the monitor in front of Reid.

"Ivan and Anna Pimenov vouched for her. They're second gen here in the States. Anyway, on the Visa application, they claimed to be Magret's aunt and uncle. They have one son, Dmitri. He was a student at _Touro University_ in Brooklyn. The school was originally established for the large Jewish community in Brooklyn, but it's branched out. Dmitri was studying business before he graduated last semester and went to work at the family business. You wanna make a guess at what that is, Smarty Pants?" Garcia taunted.

Reid thought for a minute. "Well, if one looks at the information on face value, all signs point to diamonds. The fact Magret agreed to be married in an Episcopal church tells me they're not Orthodox, nor likely practicing Jews, so am I close?"

Garcia smiled. "OH! So close. Ivan Pimenov's father was a diamond cutter when he originally came to the States in the seventies after he and his family defected. From what I've been able to pick up, Ivan's mother, Katrina, was a figure skater for the USSR during the Cold War, and during the Innsbruck games, she got in touch with the US Ambassador in Austria and was able to defect with her family after she lost the bronze medal. Losing the medal would have put her in disfavor, or so the story goes. I'm more inclined to believe she was KGB and had secrets to share, but of course, I can't prove anything."

Reid sighed. He was as into a good conspiracy as anyone else walking around, but there were a lot of holes in Garcia's theory, and she wasn't bringing it around to what the man and Magret were fighting about, which was his only concern.

"Okay. What does any of this have to do with Magret Petrov?" he asked.

"Everything she's told Morgan is a lie, Reid. Everything he's related to us regarding how she got to the States and what she does for a living is a lie. I hacked into the computer at the Russian Embassy, and there's no record of her working there. From what I can piece together, she's here illegally.

"She's using this wedding to Morgan and that precious baby as her ticket to legitimacy and likely, citizenship. Don't get me started on how often Morgan's had to bring Momma Fran here to help take care of Nicky because Magret has had to 'travel' with the Ambassador. There's nothing that has the woman traveling with the Ambassador, by the way. That man speaks English as well as you or me. I've been to parties at that Embassy over the last few months wherein he's given the welcome, and he only has a slight accent when he speaks," Garcia explained.

"I didn't know you were on the diplomatic party circuit," Reid teased, trying to take in everything she'd told him. It was overwhelming.

Garcia gave him her mischievous smile. "You'd be surprised how many places I can gain access to if I set my mind. I wanted information regarding Magret, and it was a lot easier to get from the inside. You wanna go to the State Dinner for the English Prime Minister? The Salahi's have nothing on me."

That, of course, made Reid giggle. "Just see what you can get off that recording and we'll figure out strategy from there," he instructed before he left Garcia to her magic. The woman was capable of working miracles, he was certain. He didn't need to be there to see it happen.

…

"Reid," he answered. He was finishing up paperwork regarding over-budget expenditures from the team's last case. It was usually Hotch's job to justify such expenses, but Reid had caused the problem, so he felt it was his responsibility to explain it.

 _The little motel in Eureka, California, was near the crime scene, but when Reid entered his room, he stripped the bed, as he always did, and found a colony of bed bugs had taken over. His screams had brought Morgan and Rossi to his defense, weapons drawn, with the female agents following after. When the women saw what Reid had uncovered, they inspected their own rooms and found them to be of similar circumstance, therefore rendering the accommodations unacceptable._

 _The upgrade to a better hotel had cost more than budgeted, so Reid felt he should explain it. Of course, as he printed the pictures he'd taken with his phone in support of Hotch's decision to relocate, he felt a shiver up his spine._

"It's me, Reid. I'm on my way home. How was Jack this morning?" he heard. Just the sound of Aaron Hotchner's voice sent his heart racing.

"He was fine. We made breakfast together, and when I dropped him off at day camp, he was excited. They had a swimming excursion, according to the schedule on the fridge," Spencer reminded.

He heard his boss laugh. "Yeah. I forgot. He found his trunks okay?"

"In the dryer. I took the liberty of folding the remainder of the clothes. I left the basket with your things on the bench at the end of your bed. It is quite comfortable, by the way," Reid stated, remembering the glory of being surrounded by the scent of Aaron Hotchner all night. He slept like a baby.

"You, uh, you didn't sleep on that bench, did you? I meant for you to sleep in the bed," Hotch stated.

Reid laughed at the misunderstanding. "Sorry. To clarify, I slept in your bed and found it quite comfortable. I wasn't skeeved out once at the thought of sleeping on the sheets you'd slept on before you left for Richmond. Anyway, I pulled them off the bed and left them in the laundry room. I remade the bed this morning before I left your home. Jack made his bed on his own, by the way. He's quite happy with order, which you know I appreciate."

Hotch's laugh over the phone caused Reid to giggle. "Yes, I know that about you, Reid, and I'm pretty sure that's why you and my son get along so well. Anyway, I'll be able to pick up Jack from camp. I was hoping maybe you'd have dinner with us tonight. I'll take you home after we're finished."

Reid thought a minute and smiled. "Considering I have your other car, it's the best course of action for me to drive it to your home. You don't have to feed me, Hotch. I'll pick up my things and take the bus home. The stop at the end of your block allows me to take a bus to the metro. I can get home easily from there."

The heavy sigh over the line let Reid know Hotch wasn't happy about something, and maybe the man needed to talk about his trip to Richmond. Maybe he needed a friend for a sounding board? Reid could be that friend.

"Or, I can hang around for dinner and maybe we can catch up," Reid offered.

He heard an even heavier sigh…perhaps one of relief? "Thanks, Reid. We'll see you later."

The line went dead without waiting for a response, but Spencer wasn't offended. He was concerned because it wasn't often Aaron Hotchner opened up to anyone, but if he needed that sympathetic ear, Reid was prepared. He was prepared to be anything the man needed.

…

 _Thank you for reading._


	4. Chapter 4

_**I don't own Criminal Minds. This is a work of fiction. No infringement intended.**_

…

Chapter 4.

"How was it last night with Spencer?" Hotch asked Jack as they arrived home.

"Fun. He's always fun to be with, Daddy. We read Harry Potter, and Spencer explained to me the difference between fantasy stories and fiction. Harry Potter is a fantasy story because the possibility of the events occurring as described in the book is nil. If the story was a fiction story, there could be some possibility of the events taking place, but there isn't. I kinda wish I could play quiddich," Jack explained, sounding exactly like Reid…in Hotch's opinion.

He laughed as he pulled into the parking lot of the Cambridge Towers…the building where he and Jack called home. After the house in Oakton sold, Hotch had no desire to move back to the neighborhood. Jack was in a private school not far from Quantico, so they could live anywhere without disrupting the boy's routine, though with the boy only being six, he wasn't so set in the routine. In the event Hotch ever decided to buy a single-family home again, it was probably approaching the time to consider it.

After Hotch had Jack settled in his room with an age-appropriate video game, he went to the kitchen to find something for dinner for the three of them. He put in a load of laundry before carrying his go-bag to his bedroom to replenish for emergencies. He prayed there wasn't one anytime soon since Jess was on vacation and his mother was in New York visiting his brother, Sean, who was in rehab.

Hotch found a frozen lasagna from his mother's last visit a month prior, so he followed the cooking instructions taped to the foil on top of it and turned the oven to preheat. He found a bottle of Chianti in the rack and opened it to breathe, wondering how Reid would process all of the preparations.

The last thing Hotch wanted to do was put Reid on alert regarding his feelings for the younger man. The kid was awkward on a good day, and if he thought Hotch was harboring feelings for him, Aaron wasn't sure what he'd do. He was pretty certain Reid was at least bisexual because they'd all been out as a group before and he could see Morgan trying to talk the kid into hitting on women more than once. He'd also noticed the kid giving him the eye more than once over the past year, and it wasn't just a friendly glance.

Hotch might not be well-versed in gay culture or how one went about "picking up" a potential sexual encounter, but the heated gaze he'd received from the younger man on more than one occasion left him with the impression the good doctor desired more than just a friendly game of chess from the Unit Chief.

The intercom buzzed, causing Hotch to check his watch. It was nearly six, which was about the right time for Reid to show up. "Yeah," Hotch answered.

"It's me," he heard Reid respond. Without a response, he hit the button to open the security door. He heard the buzz and then fumbling as if something had fallen.

"I'm okay," Hotch heard before the intercom went silent. He laughed as he walked to the door and opened it a crack so the agent could enter the apartment.

He turned on some soft music in the background in an attempt to lighten the tension he was feeling build. For reasons he couldn't explain, the night seemed to be pivotal. He had no idea what it meant, but he was determined to stop the dance he did around Spencer Reid. He had feelings for the young man, and while it wasn't appropriate due to the constraints of the professional relationship, it was something Hotch wanted very much. He just had to see if the beautiful doctor held any similar feelings.

##

 _Earlier in the Day_

"Okay, so we know a few facts," Reid stated to Garcia after he'd pulled in a white board from a nearby conference room so they could have a visual of the facts they'd uncovered thus far.

"After I was able to clean up the audio you sent me, we now know…" Garcia began as she outlined the information she'd assembled in a file on her computer. She knew Reid would happily evaluate it because the young genius liked his maps and visual aids, so she reigned in her eagerness to get to the bottom of the story of Magret and Dmitri in order to allow Reid time to consider the facts as she presented them.

Reid and Garcia had both voiced concerns regarding Morgan's safety on his honeymoon because Garcia had dumped Dmitri's cell and latched onto the GPS feature. The man hadn't returned to New York after the wedding as he'd led anyone paying attention to believe. His signal pinged in Miami, not far from the hotel where the Morgan family was staying.

After Reid had everything outlined on the white board, including pictures and detailed maps regarding the comings and goings of the Miami contingent, the two had determined Dmitri was shadowing Magret, Morgan, and Nicky on their travels around the city. That brought a bigger question… _why?_

"Crap. I need to go because I've got to return Hotch's car and be able to get the bus to the Franconia Station so I get home at a decent hour," Reid told her.

"I can follow you there to leave the car and drop you at the Huntington Station after we leave the Hotchners house. I wouldn't mind saying 'hi' to Jack," Garcia offered.

The last thing Reid wanted was a chaperone, but he didn't want to set off Garcia's ' _nosey_ ' alarm, so he smiled. "If you'd like to follow me, I'd appreciate it, but I thought you'd want to stay and get to the bottom of what's going on in Miami. Of course, it can wait until tomorrow. I'm sure Morgan's fine. Just because he didn't answer his phone doesn't mean anything," Reid taunted.

He saw the look on Garcia's face was just as he hoped, and he withheld the smile at Garcia's predictability. "Yeah, maybe I'll stick around for a while longer and see what else I can find on this merry band of hoodlums. You said the tax stamp was from North Carolina, right?"

"Yes. Nash County from what I could glean with a quick glance. I wasn't able to focus on the stamp number, but I distinctly remember Nash County," Reid responded.

"Okay. I'm on it. I won't bother you tonight unless I uncover a bombshell," Garcia told Reid as she turned back to her bank of computers and furiously began typing away, effectively dismissing Reid which suited him perfectly.

He hurried out to the black sedan that had been Haley Hotchner's POV, starting it and heading to the Lake Ridge apartment building, only making one stop at a small bakery on the way to pick up some cupcakes for Jack and Hotch.

After literally stumbling into the building, he made his way to the elevator and up to the two-bedroom apartment the Hotchners shared. He saw the door was open, and he prayed Aaron hadn't heard him fall in the foyer, but he was too anxious to see his boss to linger at the door. "Anybody home?" he called from the front door.

He heard the running of young feet and braced himself for Jack Hotchner to launch into his arms. " _Umph!_ " he gasped as he caught the boy with one arm, keeping the cupcakes out of harm's way.

"I learned how to do the butterfly stroke today. Can you do the butterfly stroke?" Jack asked Reid as he put the boy on the floor and knelt in front of him so as to give him his undivided attention.

"I can't say I've ever learned how to do the butterfly stroke. I'm best at floating. I only had a few swim lessons growing up. I can stay afloat to save my life, but that's about it," Reid explained as he looked into the boy's excited face. Reid couldn't help the smile. He loved the kid.

"Jack, let Spencer inside and close the door, for goodness sake," Reid heard. He glanced up to see Aaron Hotchner in a pair of faded jeans and a Beatles' t-shirt. It was the cover of the ' _Sgt. Pepper'_ album, and Reid could tell it was very old. The man had never looked hotter, in Reid's opinion.

"Come on in," Hotch coaxed.

The younger man did as told and closed the front door, engaging the deadbolt as was common practice. He'd learned it from his nights at the Hotchner home after Haley's murder. Jack had insisted he be at the front door to see it was locked tight, and Spencer had accommodated him. At the time, Hotch wasn't really in any shape to see much of anything, and due to Jack's young age, he didn't understand the events leading to his living with his father full time were due to a psychopathic killer with revenge and narcissism fueling his actions.

Haley's funeral had been awful, but Reid could tell the boy didn't really get it. That was fine. There was plenty of time for Jack to learn his mother was dead due to a serial killer who had been stalking his father. No need to rush.

After the door was locked and Spencer's gun was safely tucked away in his leather messenger bag secured in the hall closet as was custom, he followed Jack to the kitchen where Aaron had retreated. "How was the hearing?" Reid asked.

He heard Hotch exhale heavily. "If such a thing can be good, it was good. Clairmont will live out the rest of his days in the prison infirmary where he can't get the best pain management due to the restrictions regarding the type of drugs Buckingham keeps on premises. In my gut, I know it's the only justice those victims will get, but it went against everything in me not to advocate for a more compassionate…" Hotch stopped and looked at Jack who appeared not to be paying attention to either of them.

Reid nodded in understanding. "So, what can I do to help without burning down your building?" Hotch and Jack laughed. It warmed Reid's heart to catch the glimpse of the off-duty Aaron Hotchner. He was so different from Unit Chief Hotchner. It was a nice change of pace.

"Maybe make the garlic bread? I'll get Jack to set the table." The two men nodded and went about their designated tasks with purpose.

When the three sat down to dinner, the conversation was easy. They discussed baseball and whether they could get together for a National's game in the near future because the team was doing remarkably well.

"I've got a buddy who has season tickets. He works for the Park Police, and he's going on vacation in a few weeks. I'll see if we can get his tickets," Hotch offered.

Reid reached for his wallet to offer money and when Hotch grabbed his arm and pulled it onto the table, holding his forearm for a moment. The younger man nearly hyperventilated. "I want to thank you for helping us out. It's my treat. You can buy the hot dogs and peanuts," Hotch offered with a pat to Reid's hand, sending his heart into overdrive at the contact.

After dinner, the three cleared the table together. When everything was in the kitchen, Reid saw Hotch turn to Jack. "Hey, buddy, why don't you get your shower now while Spencer and I clean up this mess? After we're done, the three of us can watch a movie before we take him home."

Reid was about to protest, but he saw the boy's face light up. "Can't he sleep here? I like him sleeping here," Jack suggested.

Dumbstruck wasn't something that came naturally to Spencer Reid, but seeing the smile on his boss' face at the child's suggestion had him dumbstruck. "That's actually a good idea, Jack." Hotch then turned to Reid. "Well?"

"I don't want to be…" Reid began, trying to give his boss an out from his son's whim.

"You're not. We like having you here, don't we Jack?" Reid recognized the playful tone in Hotch's voice, and truth be told, it had been a long time since he'd heard it. It was well before Haley's death because everyone knew Hotch was upset about the divorce, but of late, he seemed to be more relaxed. Reid was sure it had everything to do with Beth Clemmons, and he damn well didn't like it.

"Yep. We can make a fort, Reid," Jack suggested before he ran off down the hall.

Reid turned to his boss and sighed. "I'll be the bad guy for him. I'll tell him I can't stay so he's not mad at you. I'm sure your girlfriend would prefer it was her here instead of me. I can get a cab to the metro, Hotch."

When the dark-haired man laughed, Reid was caught off-guard. "I don't have a girlfriend, Spencer. I haven't had a girlfriend for a very long time, and I don't want one."

Reid was confused because Hotch rarely called him _Spencer_ unless he was in trouble. "I thought you were dating Beth Clemmons. You brought her to the wedding. Hell, you have a date with her on Friday, don't you?" Reid reminded, not able to keep the hostility from seething into his voice.

He saw Hotch refill their wineglasses from dinner and toss the bottle into the recycle bin. "Can we table this discussion for a couple of hours? I don't want Jack to overhear the things I have to say quite yet."

Reid heard the patter of young feet, so he simply nodded before picking up his wineglass and walking into the living room where the young boy was putting a movie into the Blu-Ray player. "What's it gonna be?" he asked Jack.

"' _Planes'._ Have you seen it?" Jack asked as he nervously shifted from one foot to the other, clearly waiting for Spencer's response.

Reid laughed. "You know I wait to see that stuff with you. You want a juice?"

The boy nodded as he set up the movie. Spencer went to the kitchen to see Aaron putting away dishes. "The movie's ready," Reid announced as he pulled an apple juice box from the fridge.

He saw Hotch glance over his shoulder, and he was surprised at the smile. "I'll be right there. Don't start without me, and don't plan to sleep in a fort tonight. Jack won't last through the movie because swimming takes it out of him, and I'd like to talk to you after he's asleep. Okay?"

Reid nodded, unsure of the way in which the conversation would progress. He had some things he might like to share anyway, but he wasn't sure if SSA Hotchner was ready to hear them. Time would tell.

…

 _Thank you for reading._


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N:**_ _You can't see it, but I'm jumping up and down, clapping fast! Thank you for much for reading and to those of you who've left me reviews…YOU ROCK!_

 _I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow._

…

Chapter 5.

Aaron Hotchner had always prided himself on keeping his emotions in check and his decorum in place. It was expected in his father's house because there was no room for emotion or weakness in his father's presence.

His father, the attorney, was a stickler for public perception. Aaron couldn't begin to count the number of lectures he and his little brother, Sean, had endured from the man when they'd screwed up over the years…and the memories of how many of those lectures had turned violent and left scars.

There were those kinds of scars one could see to commemorate those violent encounters. The man died at forty-seven from lung cancer. His death left the Hotchner brothers with distinct scars of another kind that one couldn't see with the naked eye…scars that turned into behaviors their father would have never tolerated.

Aaron's screw ups were what got him sent off to boarding school. It was one of the reasons he and Sean weren't close because they'd grown up in two different worlds, really. After all the effort Aaron went through to help Sean get into law school, when Sean ditched Georgetown altogether to take a restaurant job in New York in hopes of going to culinary school, it was a hard pill for Aaron to swallow. His little brother's reminder Hotch ' _wasn't their father_ ' had brought revelations Aaron hadn't anticipated. Everyone took their own hide to the market. At the end of the day, Hotch wasn't responsible for Sean's actions and when he came to terms with it, it eased a little of the guilt he carried knowing he'd be a disappointment to his father for leaving the Prosecutor's Office to join the FBI.

As he watched Spencer interact with his son while they watched the DVD, Hotch knew he was on the right track. Reid had a childlike quality about him that drew Jack to him…the _'Reid Effect'_ didn't seem to extend to Jack Hotchner. The younger man didn't turn the boy away, either. They were in the floor making a house out of Jack's Legos while both were watching the movie.

Aaron was actually reviewing a case file…a cold case file…but he was with the people he wanted to spend time with, so he wasn't complaining.

"One more level, Reid," Hotch heard Jack whisper.

"Really? That would be a pretty big house," the younger agent whispered in return.

Hotch looked down to see the two of them were building a house with the Legos' from Jack's Space Shuttle kit. The house was a single family, white brick, based on the color of the Legos. There was a green base which seemed to serve as the yard. It was actually idyllic, when Hotch sat back and looked at it. It was also reminiscent of the home he'd shared with Haley and Jack in Oakton.

"You need a room and an office. Daddy needs a room and an office. I wanna room and a playroom. That's why we need it to be three levels," Jack explained quietly.

Spencer giggled a little, which made Hotch smile. "I'm not sure your dad would go for the three of us living together. I think two stories should be big enough for you and your dad."

"I don't want Beth to live with us," Jack stated as he leaned forward to whisper loudly in Spencer's ear. Hotch barely heard it, but he was certain of what he'd heard.

Hotch saw Reid was surprised. "Oh, are you all moving in together?" Reid asked quietly.

"No, we're not. Beth is a friend of ours, but that's all," Hotch stated, not taking his eyes off Reid. He wanted him to understand one thing for certain. Beth Clemmons was a friend. She didn't hold Hotch's interest. Spencer Reid was the person-of-interest in Aaron Hotchner's world. It needed to be crystal clear.

Discussions had ceased as the ending credits rolled on the movie. Jack was sound asleep, just as Aaron had predicted, while Spencer continued to work away on a dog house Jack had commissioned for the three-story colonial the two had built.

Hotch closed the folder and tossed it into his open briefcase before he turned to Reid. "I'm going to put him to bed. Would you mind clearing up the Legos? Don't take the house apart because he'll want to display it after it's finished. I'll be back. Help yourself to a nightcap. I'll have bourbon on the rocks," he whispered as he gathered his son from the floor, trying very hard not to wake him. He needed the time with Spencer to be uninterrupted. It was time for some truths.

##

"1.77245385091…" Spencer recited the square route of _Pi_ in his head to keep from getting his hopes up while he picked up the loose Legos he and Jack hadn't had the chance to use during construction of Jack's dream house. In a way it was Spencer's dream house as well, but he wasn't about to admit it to anyone…especially himself.

He'd followed Jack's specifications to the letter, and the house was quite impressive. He had hopes he and the boy would have time to finish it on another visit. He hoped he had another visit in his near future.

After things were tucked away, he went to Hotch's open briefcase and picked up the file, seeing the stamp on the front, "CLASSIFIED: _Inactive."_ He opened it and began flipping through it while he waited for Hotch.

He saw it was a child abduction case from 2001, which was before his time with the Bureau. It was profiled as a parental abduction because there had been a bitter custody battle over an eight-year-old girl. The father was given custody because of the mother's addiction to prescription drugs and negligent behavior which was well-documented in the court files.

 _The father had moved the girl from Chicago to Detroit, closer to his family and his new job at his father's mechanic shop after he was granted full-custody. The mother had fought it, but with the court only allowing her supervised visitation because of prior bad acts, the mother didn't have a lot of credibility._

 _According to witness statements, the mother cleaned up her act and held a steady job for over a year. She'd attended out-patient rehabilitation, and had supplied clean drug tests in order for the father to allow her to see her daughter over Christmas of 2001. The father had agreed, and the three of them met at a chain restaurant outside of Detroit for the mother and daughter to exchange gifts. The father, Chris Hall, was at the restaurant with his brother, Joe, but they occupied a separate table._

 _According to a waiter interviewed at the time, the mother, Katherine Hall, asked him to watch their table so she could accompany her daughter to the restroom. The mother even got the father's attention and pointed down the hall. The man nodded in understanding and went back to his conversation with his brother._

 _After a considerable amount of time, the waiter saw the father frantically looking around the restaurant. He ran down the hallway toward the restrooms, and came back a minute later, screaming that his daughter was missing._

 _Security footage of the parking lot didn't show the mother or the girl leaving the restaurant. It was as if they'd evaporated, and they were never seen again. There were reports included regarding the twists and turns of the investigation, but the mother and daughter were never found._

When Hotch returned to the living room, Reid closed the folder, having read the information three times in order to be certain he had everything clear in his mind. The report was poorly written, and the notes were somewhat disorganized, which made it difficult for him to process it in the beginning. Of course, his wandering mind didn't help.

"What do you think?" Hotch asked as he picked up the bourbon Reid had prepared for him. He was sitting next to Reid, and the young man wasn't sure if he should squeal with delight or move to the chair at his right.

"You weren't working for BAU at the time, right? You were still in Seattle? This report leaves a lot to be desired," Reid observed.

"That's because it was prepared by a single profiler. The BAU was yet to be formally established. Back in the day, they only had one profiler on staff because the Bureau wasn't sold on the efficacy of having an UnSub profile to hand off to law enforcement. They didn't travel unless it was for a high-profile case. Not being on the scene inhibited the efficacy of the profile because the LEOs often interpreted them in a different way than which they were intended. It's a wonder the BAU was ever formed, actually.

"Max Ryan was the profiler at the time, and he's definitely a lone-wolf kind of guy. Rossi was the first one to support having more than one set of eyes on a case and traveling to the scene as often as possible in order to actively aid the LEOs in securing an arrest. Dave helped establish the BAU as a tool to aid law enforcement back in the day before he left and was replaced by Gideon to jump on the bandwagon and continue to push for additional eyes and a more active role on cases of this sort.

"We are on a mandatory 'stand-down' for two weeks, and believe me, I'm glad. I just thought maybe if we all put our heads together, we could get a fresh perspective on a few of the older cases. We've been gone more than home recently, and I was able to get Strauss to give us some time at home if we would work through cold case files.

"At this point, we don't know if the mother and daughter are dead or alive. The father, Chris, stopped filing inquiries regarding the case about five years after the mother and daughter disappeared. When the BAU was in its infancy, they were off and running with new cases. There wasn't time to go back and look at inactive cases. So, what do you think?" Hotch asked again.

Reid considered his response but decided not to get sidetracked from the huge, pink elephant in the room. Tuesday would be soon enough to give an opinion on the cold case. "I think there are a lot of avenues left unexplored. I think the team would be eager to take it on. Right now, I want to know what you want to speak with me about. You mentioned earlier, after Jack went to sleep, you wanted us to talk. I assume it's not about this case."

He saw the wry smile on Hotch's face he loved to see. It came out so rarely. "Okay. I wanted to talk to you regarding your misperception of my relationship with Beth Clemmons."

"You brought her to Morgan's wedding. You brought her with your _son_ to Morgan's wedding. Most men don't take their sons on dates with them unless they want the boy to form a bond with the woman who might be a potential mate and _de facto_ mother for the child. Besides, we don't profile each other, right?" Reid reminded.

When Hotch smiled, Reid chuckled quietly. It was a rule around the office they didn't profile each other, though it was inevitable it would happen. You couldn't put six profilers in the same room and not expect them to come away without _opinions…_

"I appreciate your restraint, but in this instance, you're completely wrong. She's a nice woman, but she was interested in meeting Rossi. Apparently, they both attend some sort of lecture series in Rosslyn, and she's tried to introduce herself to him on more than one occasion, but you know him. He's about as clueless as you can be," Hotch explained.

Reid almost missed the last part of Hotch's explanation because he was preoccupied with wondering how the woman put together Hotch and Rossi. "How'd she know you worked with Rossi?"

Hotch sighed. "One night, after my divorce was final, I was feeling sorry for myself. Dave took me to some damn lecture regarding Machu Picchu, and she was the docent who discussed artifacts recovered from the site. Anyway, when we went to the Smithsonian on the class trip, I remembered her and brought up the lecture while you and Jack had moved on to another exhibit. We talked and she figure out I knew Dave.

"That's why she came to the wedding as my guest. Little did I know Casanova was at it again, but this time with a member of the team," Hotch explained.

"Wait, at what again?" Reid asked, feeling like he'd gotten lost on a trail somewhere.

Hotch sighed. "Look, that's not what I wanted to discuss. Beth isn't interested in me anymore than I'm interested in her. We're friends. That's it. That's not why I wanted you to stay after Jack fell asleep anyway.

"I wanted to ask your opinion regarding dating a colleague. What are your feelings on the matter?" Hotch asked.

Reid was confused, understandably so. Aaron Hotchner didn't ask his opinion regarding personnel matters. He went to Rossi with those types of questions. The younger man was completely baffled. "Are you thinking of disciplinary actions regarding Rossi and a member of the team?" Reid asked, not hiding the shock in his voice.

Hotch chuckled, which made Reid nervous. "No more than I'd write up myself. So, thoughts?"

Reid considered the potential risks with such an arrangement, and then he considered the personalities of the members of his team. With Morgan on his honeymoon, Reid knew it wasn't "Chocolate Thunder" and his "Baby Girl."

JJ was happily married to Will, who'd actually just gone back to work, so Reid was certain things were fine in their world. Rossi and Prentiss weren't attached to anyone as far as Reid knew, and _he_ only had eyes for Hotch…eyes which weren't returned.

"Okay, hypothetically…which isn't easy for me because I've tried to form the attachments in my head in order to make a reasonable observation, but I can't…if members of the team began a relationship, I wouldn't care about it as long as it didn't affect the team dynamic. We work together best when we're all in sync. This wedding with Morgan has thrown a few of us for a loop, and that's something I'd like to talk to you about," Reid explained.

He saw Hotch look up and regard him for a moment. "I realize you and Garcia aren't happy about Morgan's new wife, but she's undergone a background check in order for him to maintain his security clearance, and she passed it. She's not Mata Hari, Spencer," Hotch teased.

"Who did the background check?" Reid asked, not masking the incredulity in his voice. Whoever it was, they did a piss poor job of it.

"Office of Personnel Management – Federal Investigative Services. They perform those kinds of checks on spouses of Federal employees, why?" Hotch asked.

Reid thought for a minute, and it made sense. Federal Investigative Services did a cursory credit check, criminal records check, and a check with DMV and county government. They didn't go out and canvas character witnesses because the spouse wouldn't be seeking a security clearance. The background check was to ensure nothing in the spouse's history would cause an agent or employee of the U.S. government to be vulnerable for exploitation.

If the spouse had no history, a background check would be easy. A foreign national on a student visa wouldn't have any history. If she didn't give away the information Garcia had dug up on her, Magret would fly under the radar with OPM-FIS. They weren't known for digging deep.

"I don't know who did the investigation, but they missed a whole lot of shit. Magret Petrov has lied about nearly everything she's ever told Morgan, and Garcia and I are looking into it on our own time. By the way, Morgan's not answering his phone. I'm worried," Reid explained.

The frustration on Hotch's face wasn't a surprise. Obviously, the Unit Chief had something else on his mind that night, but Reid felt the BAU needed to step in, again, like they'd done many times before when an agent was involved in something. Once again, something wasn't right and Morgan was a member of the family. If you couldn't count on family, who could you count on?

"Okay, okay. I'll humor you and Garcia tomorrow morning, but right now, I want to talk to you about…"

" _DADDY!_ " was the shout both men heard from down the hall, causing both of them to run.

Reid slowed to allow Hotch inside first where he flipped on the bedside lamp. From the doorway, Reid could see Jack was a little shaken up, but he wasn't crying and that was a good sign. "What's wrong, son?" his father asked.

"I had a bad dream," Jack whispered.

"You wanna talk about it?" Hotch asked as he settled the boy back into bed.

"No. Can you stay 'til I fall asleep again? Mommy always stayed with me," the little boy requested, sounding wise beyond his six years. Reid smiled and stepped back into the hallway after Hotch settled on the bed with Jack in his arms. The sight brought fond memories for Reid because he remembered being held in his mother's arms when he was younger and had bad dreams. She would read to him until he fell back to sleep. Those were memories he cherished, having blocked out the bad memories, and he wouldn't do anything to interrupt that time for Jack.

He cleaned up the living room and checked the clock, seeing he had time to get home. He called a cab before grabbing his shoes and messenger bag. He set the alarm for Aaron, and let himself out, locking the deadbolt with the key Aaron had given him.

The two men had a lot to discuss, but that night, a little boy needed his father to take away the monsters from his dreams, and Reid could relate to the feeling. Unfortunately, there was nobody to take away the monsters from _his_ dreams, but he'd learned to cope with them on his own. He hoped one day he'd have someone to hold him after he'd been startled awake from his nightmares. It was something for which he aspired.

Later that night after waking from his own nightmare, Reid made a pot of coffee and stayed awake the rest of the night with the aid of Mother Caffeine. Of course, it didn't work like Dilaudid to take away the worries and offer him the bliss of living dreams, but it gave him the respite of avoiding the horrific nightmares that plagued his sleep. His caffeine addiction was a lot less dangerous than his drug addiction.

…

 _A little sad, but we're getting there. Thanks so much for reading._


	6. Chapter 6

_[A/N: Thank you so much for reading, and for those of you who have left reviews. I truly appreciate your interest. We're moving along!]_

 _ **I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow. No copyright infringement intended.**_

…

Chapter 6.

Aaron Hotchner awoke with a jolt…a swift heel-kick to the nuts to be more specific. When he opened his eyes, gasping for air, he saw the culprit…Jack. It was the reason he never shared a bed with the boy after they adjusted to the death of his mother. The kid kicked like a mule.

Hotch swallowed his stomach back down and gently rose from the bed, seeing it wasn't quite light out yet. He went to his room, expecting to see Reid asleep in his bed, but he was sorely disappointed. Apparently, only in his dreams did Spencer crawl beneath his blue sheets and settle in to wait for him while he got Jack to bed. Disappointment was truly an understatement to justify the way he felt.

He lay down atop the comforter and closed his eyes after ensuring the alarm was set for six-thirty. He quickly drifted off and felt as if he was floating on a cloud.

" _Hotch, can I come in?" Reid asked at his office door in the BAU._

" _Always. Take a seat," he invited, watching every move the lithe, gorgeous, young man made, sweeping his hair behind his ears as he was wont to do before he cut it off for Morgan's wedding._

" _What brings you by, Reid?" Hotch asked as he studied the young man. He saw a look of determination on his face before the younger man rose from his seat and walked over to the blinds on the window facing the Bullpen. After ensuring they were closed, Reid walked over to Hotch's desk and gathered up the files, placing them on the chairs across from the desk._

 _Reid then picked up Hotch's docking station and the other things on his desk, depositing them on the couch to the left of the desk before the young man climbed up on the top of the desk, parking himself in the middle._

" _I'm tired of beating around the bushes, Aaron," Reid told him. Hotch didn't hesitate to open the young man's legs and move his chair between them, resting his hands on the slender thighs which sat atop his blotter calendar._

" _By all means, Reid, let's cease the bush beating. What's really on your mind?" Hotch teased as his hands moved over the young man's corduroy-covered thighs._

" _You want to fuck me, and I want you to fuck me, so why can't we just put aside the bullshit for a half-hour and satisfy ourselves?" the doctor commanded._

 _Aaron laughed. "Spencer, if you think it's only going to take a half-hour, you're about to be pleasantly surprised," he stated as he rose from the chair and kissed the young agent with abandon._

 _Once the two of them were naked, Hotch inserted two fingers inside Reid just as he'd researched on the internet. "Oh, God, Aaron, please? Just go slow. I'm dying to have you inside me," Reid whispered in a sexy voice._

 _Of course, Aaron Hotchner was all about giving the young genius anything he wanted, so he moved himself to the man's warm channel and began pushing inside. Reid was chanting acceptance the whole time, and when Hotch was fully seated in the young man, he pulled back and began to push in, only to lose control and shoot his hot seed inside the young man without warning…or without protection, which he was surprised about. He wasn't the kind of guy not to think about his health or the health and comfort of his partner._

" _Dad, make it stop," he heard in Jack's small voice._

 _What Jack was doing in his office was a mystery, but when Aaron looked up, he saw Spencer wasn't there and his desk was back in order. The regret was palpable._

" _DAD!_ " he heard again. He opened his eyes, immediately conscious of two things. One…Jack was standing at his bedside while his alarm was sounding a horrific, blast-horn alarm. The second thing? He was still in his clothes from the day before and his boxer-briefs were sticky. That couldn't be good at all.

Hotch turned to his side and silenced the alarm. He usually woke before the damn thing went off, so he was a bit disconcerted. "Uh, go ahead and get dressed for camp. I'll get breakfast started. Sorry I didn't get the alarm before it woke you," he told Jack.

After the boy left, Hotch went to the dresser and grabbed clean shorts and an undershirt. He quickly shaved and brushed his teeth before he showered. He dressed after and went to the kitchen to pull out some frozen waffles for breakfast. He saw a plastic bag with what appeared to be pancakes. He knew he hadn't made them, and Jess had been gone long enough he'd have noticed them previously if she'd left them.

When Jack entered the kitchen with his socks and sneakers in hand, Hotch poured the boy a glass of orange juice. "Here ya go. Where'd the pancakes come from?"

Jack smiled brightly. "Spencer. He made a whole bunch. He called his mom and got her out of bed to ask her the recipe. I got to talk to her for a minute. She's nice. Anyway, we eated a bunch of 'em, and he frozed the rest. He left a note…oh, here it is," the boy said as he pulled a piece of paper from the front of the fridge.

 _Jack –_

 _Put three on a plate, not stacked on top of each other. Microwave them for one minute to start, then fifteen seconds until they're the temperature you want. After they're warm, put butter on them and syrup. They should last you for a few days._

 _Love,_

 _Reid_

After Hotch read the note, he was more determined than ever. Spencer Reid was special, and Aaron Hotchner wanted him for so many reasons he couldn't begin to count. First, he had to feel the man out. Of course, with Reid, that wasn't easy because the man had one-hundred other things on his mind on any given day. Hotch had to figure out how to rise to the number one slot in the doctor's thoughts.

##

Spencer Reid checked his Smith & Wesson before he entered the facility at Quantico. He'd been given a lot of shit in the past when he'd forgotten to secure the safety during his first few years with the BAU when he carried a Glock 19.

The hell he'd endured when he hadn't qualified during the early years was enough to make him show up at the range for practice at least once a month until it was time for him to attempt to qualify again. With Hotch's help, he hadn't failed to qualify with his duty gun after that first failure. One UnSub taught him it was necessary to remain proficient, even if the threat level seemed to be low.

He'd grown tired of the ridicule and after a bit of research, switched his service weapon to the revolver, and after adjusting the handle-grips, he'd fallen for the 65. It served him well, and with the snub he carried on his left ankle, usually wrapped around a very colorful sock, he felt himself protected. He'd learned that trick from Hotch.

He placed both guns on the desk and signed the log before he emptied his pockets into a bin and slid his ID over the sensor so he could pass through security. He saw the officers chuckling at his choice of artillery, but he had found both pieces of firepower suited his needs when necessary, and he wondered if _their_ service weapons had ever been fired outside a gun range. He wasn't one to brag, but he had solid evidence of the efficacy of his chosen weapons. He owed no one an explanation.

After he checked through security and regained custody of his artillery, he went to the kitchen on his floor to retrieve his coffee fix, the first of the day. He'd been running a little late that morning because he'd had a rather explicit dream about himself and his Unit Chief, and he'd had to take a little extra time in the shower. He'd never be sorry about it. The sexy dreams he had about Aaron Hotchner kept him sane.

When Spencer settled at his desk, he saw a piece of chartreuse paper sticking out from under his desk calendar. He pulled it out and saw the familiar purple gel pen…a trademark of Penelope Garcia.

" _Come see me, Boy Wonder. I have goodies to share."_

He quickly unloaded his bag and grabbed his coffee to head to her cave. She'd likely stayed all night, but according to her note, she had information. No doubt it was about Morgan.

He knocked, and when he didn't hear a welcoming entre, he opened the door to find the office empty. There was a note stuck to the front of Garcia's favorite monitor, so as instructed, Spencer aimed the mouse and clicked on the 'play' button.

" _Junior G-Man, I've left you what I've been able to unearth. I'm on my way to Miami to look for my Chocolate Thunder because I believe there's a reason to be worried. If you don't agree, then chalk it up to me taking a foolish vacation because I have an obsession, but you know how much I love him. If he's not in distress, I promise you I'll back off and leave it alone, but after you review what I've left for you, I hope you'll come to the conclusion I have…Derek's in trouble."_

The video stopped and Reid could see Garcia was worried by her little wave which was an imitation of the wave he gave every stranger who wanted to shake his hand.

After watching the video and reviewing the evidence she'd left behind, he gathered everything and went to Rossi. He knew Hotch thought the woman was okay, but based on what Garcia found, it was clear there was a lot of information missing from the OPM background check.

"Ah, Young Spencer. What has you looking so frantic?" Rossi asked as he took off his jacket and hung it on the back of his door.

"I'd like to ask your opinion of something. Will you keep an open mind?" Reid asked.

Rossi chuckled. "If it's about office romance, you've come to the right place, kiddo." Reid froze for a minute, but there was something more important than office romance…well, Reid's or Rossi's office romances, if they really existed.

"Yeah, hold the thought," Spencer told him as he as he loaded the disk into Rossi's computer and produced the folder Garcia had assembled in support.

Based on the review Reid had given the file as he listened to Garcia lead him down the primrose path, he'd learned there was nothing about Magret Petrov that was truthful. She'd been involved in a lot of very dirty dealings before she'd met Derek Morgan, and it appeared to Reid Magret had sought out Derek because what better cover for smugglers…drugs, cigarettes, liquor, God knew what else…than to have an FBI agent in the family? An agent who might have contacts and could provide pivotal information regarding what was known; what wasn't known; what was known to be unknown; and what was unknown to be unknown. It was "insert yourself into the investigation," plain and simple. A lot of information was exchanged during pillow talk.

After Reid and Rossi watched the video and reviewed the file, Reid saw the older agent close his eyes. It was his _tell_ as he considered the information he'd just been given.

It reminded Spencer of when he first worked with Gideon. The man was a mentor…a surrogate father, even. When Jason Gideon left the BAU, it took Reid a long time to get over it. The pain was reminiscent of when his own father walked away. It truly hurt.

After Jason left, Reid was a bit lost until Morgan and Garcia took him under their wings. They nursed him through his crush on JJ and when he got through that and began interacting more with Aaron, Garcia was the first to notice he seemed to have developed feelings for the Unit Chief. She'd suggested it might be transference when the two of them went to dinner one night, but he told her he didn't see it as such.

Reid couldn't deny his attraction to the man and after acceptance settled into his heart, he began to learn how to cope. Garcia, who was suffering her own form of obsession, helped immensely, and they'd gotten closer over time.

If the bubbly tech analyst believed it was necessary to travel to Miami to look for Morgan, Reid was booking a commercial flight right behind her. He just needed Rossi to cover both of their asses.

Rossi looked through the file a final time and closed it. He turned to Reid and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment before speaking. "You realize none of this information has been substantiated. Penelope has every reason to believe the woman guilty of some dirty dealings because she's in love with Morgan. Hell, they've played cat and mouse since the day Garcia was dragged in here for the job versus going to jail.

"Why should we see this circumstantial evidence as anything more than the theories of a lover scorned?" Rossi proposed.

Reid took a deep breath to gather the million thoughts circling his brain. He had to be coherent without rambling off trivial statistics or irrelevant facts because there wasn't time. "I witnessed the cousin, Dmitri Pimenov, arguing with Magret Petrov at the reception. I've watched Derek with Nicky, and I've watched Magret watching Derek with Nicky. She knew exactly how to hook Derek, and she did it.

"If, indeed, she's involved in any kind of trafficking operation, what's the best way to stay abreast of what law enforcement knows than to marry an elite FBI agent? We both know Morgan's married to the job, and if he wants to make his marriage to Magret, or Nina as Garcia speculates, work? He's going to become comfortable with her and talk about his workday with her, office rumors and all. What better way to learn of possible vulnerabilities within the Bureau than hearing office gossip.

"I don't have a significant other I can discuss my days with, but I'd bet Will and JJ talk about things when they're at home. A condition of maintaining a faithful relationship is to make certain there's no reason for the partner to stray.

"You listen to each other, and you discuss the problems the partner's had during the day. If you won't listen to the trivial nonsense from a workday, someone else will. That's what Magret/Nina was counting on when she got pregnant with Nicky. The timing is off, Rossi.

"We were in Austin when she would have conceived. I'm not saying Derek isn't the father, but it's hard to correlate the timeline since we were very busy with cases and custodial interviews at the time when Nicky was allegedly conceived," Reid offered as an explanation for Garcia's impassioned request for someone to join her in her quest.

Rossi took a deep breath and leaned forward in his chair. "Tell me, Boy Genius, how could the woman have conceived a child with our Derek if he was a thousand miles away? It's impossible.

"Maybe the boy was born early or was overdue. She didn't tell him about Nicky until after he was already born, so we know nothing about his delivery. We can't get to those records, especially with Garcia in the wind. I want to believe you, Spencer, but I'm having a hard time following the breadcrumbs Penelope has left us," the older man admitted.

As Reid was about to make another plea for Rossi's assistance, there was a quick knock on the door before it opened. Both Rossi and Reid turned to see Hotch standing in the doorframe with an impatient look on his face.

"Something wrong?" Hotch asked.

"No. Do we have a case?" Reid asked.

Hotch shook his head and stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. "We're on stand down, remember? What's going on?"

Reid looked at Rossi and they both smiled. "What makes you think anything's going on?" Rossi asked.

Hotch laughed, no humor evident. "Because two of my agents are in here arguing about something and I can feel the tension in the air. What's going on?" he asked again as he glanced between the two men.

Reid looked at Rossi and nodded. If Hotch wasn't on board with the theory Reid and Garcia had formulated, then Reid would hop a plane and head to Miami on his own. He wanted to support Garcia, and if she believed something had happened to Morgan, he was the first to jump aboard the proverbial train and ride it to the end of the rails.

Penelope Garcia wasn't out to harm anyone. Her mission was to save her _family_ , and the members of the BAU were her family. She'd lost her own, and her old hacker friends were distant memories. She was a good person, and without her, Reid wasn't sure what would have become of him during the dark days. He owed her many things, but his respect and loyalty were first and foremost. She'd given it to him ten-fold.

…

 _Thank you for reading._


	7. Chapter 7

_**[A/N:**_ _Thank you for reading. I know there are a lot of you reading who aren't commenting, but that's okay. I appreciate your interest. This chapter has a lot of information. I tried really hard to make it clear. If I failed, please leave me a review or PM so I can help you out, because I took creative license while filling in the backstory for Morgan's wife. Thank you._ _ **]**_

I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow. No copyright infringement necessary.

…

Chapter 7.

 _Earlier that day…_

Aaron Hotchner had been looking for Spencer Reid from the moment he'd arrived at the office. The younger man's disappearance the night before hadn't set well, even though Hotch could understand it. Many things remained to be said between the two men. It was time for truth, and if it had to be done in the BAU offices, then so be it.

"Any idea where Reid is?" he'd asked Prentiss as she was filling out a quiz on _._ She'd closed the window on her computer before she thought he'd had time to see what it was, and the file she had open on her desk didn't fool him. She, just like everyone, was on a staycation because of the stand down he'd ordered. They needed time to regroup, and Hotch was supportive, but he could understand how bored his agents might be.

"I do believe he's in Rossi's office. I saw him run out of Garcia's _Bat Cave_ and into Rossi's office as I was coming out of the kitchen. They've been in there for the last half-hour. Anything going on?" she asked.

Hotch held the laugh. "After you finish your ' _he loves me, he loves me not'_ quiz, we're going to start reviewing cold cases from before the unit was organized. The files are in boxes in my office, so feel free to pick several and prepare a profile of the victim and the UnSub based on the information in the file. When JJ arrives, please offer her the same opportunity."

After he gave Emily direction, Hotch went to his office and deposited his brief case on his desk. He removed his suit jacket and walked down the hall to Rossi's office, knocking once before going inside. He saw Rossi and the object-of-his-desires, Dr. Reid, in a conflict over something.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"No. Do we have a case?" Reid responded quickly.

Hotch shook his head and stepped into the office, closing the door behind him. "What's going on?" Obviously, there was something neither man was willing to share, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.

Reid looked at Rossi and they both smiled. "What makes you think anything's going on?" Rossi asked.

Hotch could tell he was being snowballed, and he couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips before he spoke. "Because two of my agents are in here arguing about something and I can feel the tension in the air. What's going on?" he asked again as he glanced between the two men.

"Tell him. We can't get authorization to move forward without his consent," Rossi urged.

Hotch saw Reid sigh. "Come here, please, and watch this. Garcia and I have been…" Reid began as he explained the information in the folder before he started the DVD in Rossi's computer.

Once it stopped, Hotch turned to them. "You realize this is all circumstantial, right? We all know Garcia is in love with Morgan, and one would have had to be a moron not to see her silent protest at the wedding. The black dress and hat were like a beacon."

He saw Reid's hands fisting in frustration. "You believe the background check FIS filed after their investigation, but Aaron…Hotch, Garcia and I did some additional digging. Things aren't as they seem," Reid pleaded.

It caught Hotch's attention because he knew the young agent well enough to know he'd never be as passionate about anything he wasn't sure was a problem. Hotch pulled out his phone and dialed Morgan's number, and when it went to voicemail and the mechanical voice informed the mailbox was full, Hotch understood their concerns.

Morgan was the ultimate team player, and even though he was on his honeymoon, he wouldn't allow messages to stack up in his voicemail. Something was definitely wrong.

"Print off everything and assemble the team in the conference room. Is Garcia reachable? We'll need her for tech support," Hotch announced as he started to move out of the room.

Reid followed him out. "I'm not sure if she's up and running yet. I can contact Kevin Lynch and see if he'd be willing to provide assistance until we get to Miami. It might be a stretch to get his assistance since she rebuked his advances."

Hotch stopped and gave it some thought. "No, let's keep this within the team. We'll just have to hope Garcia has it together enough to assist us on the plane."

He watched Reid nod and veer down to the Bullpen and begin his vehement gestures as he explained to Emily and JJ what was going on. When Hotch got to his office, he considered who could take care of Jack. Jess was on vacation, and it was supposed to be slow. Reid, his backup caregiver, was going to be with the team, so Hotch wasn't sure who to call.

There was a knock on his door and when it opened, he saw JJ standing there. "I've talked to Will. He has vacation time coming up, and he and Henry would love to have Jack over for a few days so we can get to the bottom of this mess. Call the camp and give them this information so Will can pick up Jack without a problem." She handed him a piece of paper with Will LaMontagne's driver's license number and their address in Leesburg, along with Will's cell phone number.

"Hotch, let's skip the conference room and review information on the plane. This is one of our own. We need to get there. I've already run this past Admin, and we're approved to work the case as an abduction of a federal agent. We're allowed to use the jet," JJ demanded.

"Smart thinking, JJ. Notify the staff. Wheels up in thirty. Can you make lodging arrangements in the air?" he responded as he began to assemble everything he'd need. It was going to be a difficult trip, and if something had happened to Morgan, he couldn't imagine how the rest of the team might take it. Loyalty wasn't a problem in the group. They would fight to the death for each other. If someone got between them…God save his soul.

##

After the team, or what remained of the team, was settled on the jet and they were in the air, winging their way to Ft. Lauderdale to stay under the radar, JJ cleared her throat and caught everyone's attention.

"I got a file from our fair Penelope before we left, and I've printed off the additional information she's found since she's been in Florida. Magret Petrov, a/k/a Nina Rusnak, a/k/a Inga X was born in Siberia in 1985, according to the birth certificate on file with the orphanage used in her adoption. She was orphaned at the age of four and adopted by Anatoly and Marta Rusnak, who changed her name to Nina.

"They were both former KGB and as part of repatriation the Russian government implemented under the Gorbechav presidency to try to undue damage from the Cold War, their records were sealed. Of course, there's nothing outside the grip of our own Garcia, and I pray Interpol doesn't meet us at the airport, but that's a risk.

"Unfortunately, there were factions of the Russian government who wouldn't let go of the old ways, and parts of what was formerly the KGB spun off into the Russian Mafia, or the Bratva, as they became known. Anatoly Rusnak was a member, and the family immigrated to the U. S. in 1995, settling in Brighton Beach among the established Russian community," JJ began explaining.

As the five members of the BAU winged their way to Ft. Lauderdale, they discussed the newly found information, coming to the conclusion there was a lot more to the story. There wasn't a need to create a profile. It was a rescue mission in their eyes, and the idea of recovery was completely out of their minds. Morgan and Nicky were still alive somewhere and there would be a rescue. That was the mindset of the group as they stepped onto the tarmac at the private airport in Ft. Lauderdale.

##

"Hotchner, checking in," Hotch told the front desk clerk. They were only able to secure three rooms at a mid-level hotel…JJ and Prentiss were sharing; Rossi had offered to share with Hotch or Reid, but Prentiss had suggested perhaps they should allow Rossi to have his own room because of his habit of writing late into the night…or early into the morning, as the case may be.

Hotch wanted to laugh, but he didn't. "So, I guess Reid and I are sharing?"

"If you want to share with JJ, I'll share with Reid," Prentiss offered, winking at Hotch. He wasn't sure what the wink meant, but it wasn't the time or place to dissect it.

"Reid and I are perfectly fine to share a room. We've done so more than once. Let's meet back here in fifteen. I'll put in another call to Garcia's phone. She hasn't answered my last two calls, so I'm worried she's gotten herself into something she didn't expect," Hotch explained.

Everyone nodded and went their separate ways, leaving him with Reid in the lobby. "So, Dr. Reid, shall we?" Hotch asked. The young man nodded with a smile as they made their way up the stairs to the second floor.

…

Just as Hotch opened the door, Reid's phone chimed. He pulled it out and saw a message from Garcia.

 _Welcome to Miami, my darling manchild. I'm at a condo in South Beach. It's in the same building as Derek and that horrible, lying shrew. I haven't seen him here, but I've seen Magret/Nina with Nicky. I know she's been making calls to someone in Cuba because I put a trace on her cell. Help me!_

Reid turned to Hotch. "I have a text from Garcia." He handed his phone and watched as Aaron Hotchner did what Aaron Hotchner did best…he took control.

"Okay, let's go find Garcia."

After a text message, the team assembled in the lobby and climbed into the rental they'd secured. Prentiss had called Garcia who was giving them directions to her location. It was a lot better than GPS, Reid noted to himself.

Once they were all in the condo Garcia had secured, they sat down and allowed her to provide them the update of what she'd discovered since she'd arrived.

"I've been tracking Nina by her cell signal. She's been taking Nicky with her to various places around town, always accompanied by a guy…uh…" she stated before pulling up a picture of the man Reid recognized from the wedding.

"That's her cousin," he offered as they all crowded around her laptop.

"Yeah… _no_. That's her husband…Boris Lysowski. I think we all remember the Lysowski family from Baltimore? Boris is a nephew of the boss. His brother was in the Bratva at the time. They remembered Morgan from the case, and Nina targeted him because he has a kind heart, based on what they observed during the case and how upset Morgan was at the death of Natalya Chernus.

"Through the Russian Embassy in DC, I was able to hack through a few other servers until I got through to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is the governing authority over the Russian Police and found criminal records for all of them," Garcia informed.

The team was beside itself regarding how to keep from going to prison for the federal laws Garcia had broken in order to gain the information, but they all agreed "one for all," so they began making a strategy for how to locate Derek.

"Okay, Penelope, give JJ the personal cell number for Magret. JJ, you call her and tell her you've been desperately trying to contact Derek because there's an emergency with Fran. She's had…no, she was attacked near her home in Chicago. There've been a lot of attacks in her neighborhood and we've been called into assist CPD," Hotch began.

"Why his mother?" Prentiss asked.

"Because it would be the only reason we'd call him away from his honeymoon. Any other case we could handle on our own, but if something happened to Derek's family, we'd call him. His mother and sisters are as important to him as his wife and son," Reid supplied, causing Hotch to nod with him. He was so happy Reid understood his reasoning regarding the strategy. If he could only get the man to understand how he felt about him?

"On it," Garcia and JJ responded as they put their heads together.

"Rossi, you still have a friend at the Russian Embassy in DC, right?" Hotch asked. He watched as Rossi glanced at Prentiss. The glare on her face was evident, but there was no time for tip-toeing around any of it. They needed the contact.

"Thank you, _Aaron,_ for putting me in the proverbial doghouse. Yes, I still have a friendly relationship with Anna. Why?" Rossi asked.

Hotch saw Reid studying Prentiss, and then launch himself into the air. " _That's it!_ You two are…" Reid began.

Hotch pulled on his sweater vest, wondering how the hell the kid could stand the feel of wool in the hot Florida summer air. "Take a seat, Reid. One thing at a time. In the event we need help with background information to make our case, it would be nice to have someone on the inside, if necessary."

He then turned to JJ and further instructed, "Get her to put Morgan on the phone. We need proof he's still alive," Hotch instructed.

"Hi, Magret. It's JJ. Is Derek available? I've called his cell several times, but his voicemail is full," JJ explained as she put the phone on speaker.

"Hallo, JJ. He lost his phone in ocean on Monday. He forgot he had it in his pocket until it was too late. Why are you needing to speak with him?" Magret responded. Hotch noted the nervous sound of her voice and pushed JJ.

"Ask to speak to him. Tell her it's about his mother," Hotch whispered.

JJ nodded. "We got a call from Chicago PD. Fran was mugged, and she's in the hospital. It's a serial mugger, and he's escalated. He actually choked her until she let go of her purse. Morgan's sisters have tried to call him as well, but it went to voicemail," she explained. She pointed to Prentiss, and they nodded.

Hotch saw Prentiss leave the room with her cell, likely advising Morgan's family not to answer any calls from Magret. He knew Emily wouldn't give away their suspicions because there was no need to upset Morgan's mother and sisters. They knew nothing at that point, so there was no reason to alarm anyone.

"He, uh, he's on fishing boat right now. I have family down here, and they wanted to take Derek fishing. I'll try calling my uncle, but it's not easy to get signal out on ocean," the woman explained.

"What time are you expecting them back to port?" JJ asked. Hotch nodded. She'd asked a great question.

Magret coughed on the other end of the phone, likely stalling for time. "They're not back until Thursday. It's my uncle's gift to welcome Derek to family. They weren't happy about me marrying a Derek, but I convinced them to spend time with him. I was sure they'd love him as I do once they got to know him.

"Is Fran okay? I'd hate to interrupt the trip if it's not serious," Magret told JJ.

Hotch took a deep breath and grabbed JJ's cell. "Hi, Mrs. Morgan? It's SSA Aaron Hotchner. I would never interrupt Derek on his honeymoon, but his mother's in ICU. The mugger choked her to unconsciousness and there might be brain damage. We're wheel's up in thirty. I was hoping to talk to Morgan to make arrangements for him to join us. For all of you to join us. I'm sure you're as worried about his mother as Derek will be. After all, she's your family now as well," Hotch stated as he readied his weapon, glancing at the team.

Vests were out, and everyone was getting together their gear. Hotch knew Morgan was in danger, and the idea he was out to sea with her _family_? His body could be dumped anywhere between Miami and Cuba. They'd never find him.

"Um, let me try to call my uncle. I'll call you back," Magret promised.

Hotch hung up and handed the phone to JJ. "We're moving. If they've got Morgan on a boat headed for Cuba? He's likely dead. Remember, Nicky's with her," he reminded as they headed down the stairwell, hoping for the very best outcome.

…

 _Thank you for reading._


	8. Chapter 8

_**[A/N:**_ _Thank you all for reading, and thank you to my reviewers…noobz40 and TheBrokenMinor! I appreciate the support. This one is short, and I'm sorry, but this story isn't finished.]_

 _I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow. No infringement._

…

Chapter 8.

The team made its way down the stairwell to the floor where Garcia had said the family was staying. As they emerged from the stairwell, there was a man standing guard at the doorway, obviously guarding the entrance. When he saw them, he opened fire with a semi-automatic weapon. Of course, Hotch took him out with one shot.

They stormed the door, and after they were inside, they scattered and searched the condo. They found Magret in the spare bedroom packing her things along with Nicky's. When Prentiss kicked in the locked door of the master bedroom, they found Morgan handcuffed to the bed with an IV needle in his arm. He wasn't conscious.

Reid rushed over and inspected the hanging bag. "It's saline, but there's a catheter attached and there are pinholes. They're injecting him with something," he stated as he felt for a pulse, feeling the bile in his stomach churn. Morgan was his best friend. If something happened to him…Reid couldn't comprehend it.

JJ pulled out her phone to call 9-1-1, but Rossi stopped her. "We can't call in locals. We need back-up, but we need to know why. We've gotta move them upstairs so that when the others come back, they have no idea where they are. We need time," Rossi reiterated.

An hour later, they were all assembled in the condo Garcia had rented. Magret, a/k/a Nina, was handcuffed to the drainpipe under the bathroom sink, cursing up a storm in Russian. The barking laughs from Reid and Prentiss told the other members of the team it was pretty colorful.

JJ was entertaining Nicky while Reid was on the phone with a doctor friend of his whom he'd met at a seminar…and refused to explain to anyone else. The doctor was set to make a visit to the building as soon as he could clear his schedule.

Garcia had established a link between the computers in Derek's condo upstairs, her laptops downstairs, and her network at Quantico. The network had been recording every keystroke made from her computer and the computers in the condo the Morgans had occupied. It was now a waiting game. Hotch didn't feel good about it because they were on their own, but he had faith in his team. They'd get through it.

##

The very last thing Spencer Reid wanted to do was contact a former lover, Randall Kane, regarding a personal favor, but it was for Morgan, for whom he'd do anything, so he put aside personal issues and made the call.

 _Randall Kane was a neurologist Reid had met in rehab when he was coming off Dilaudid. They'd broken the rules and had sex because they both needed a distraction. Randall's drug of choice was old school…cocaine. He'd become addicted when he was in his residency because the hours were crazy, and he believed, like every good addict does, he could control the addiction. The addiction wouldn't control him._

 _Unfortunately, he'd been caught by the chief resident and instead of reporting him, Randall was offered a chance to get clean and keep his job. He and Reid had texted since they'd both left the facility. The encounter wasn't awful, and they had a friendly bond. Reid knew the man could keep a secret. That was proven. He trusted the man would be able to figure out what Derek had been given and help them get him off it._

"Reid, the front desk guy called. Your friend is on his way up," Prentiss told him.

He gave Aaron a quick glance, and saw he'd have a lot to explain, but Aaron wasn't stopping him so he hurried to the front door, opening it and heading to the elevator. When it chimed and the door opened, the two men embraced. The throat clearing down the hall made Reid smile. He was quite happy Hotch was jealous. It had never happened to him in his entire life that someone was jealous with regard to Spencer.

"Hey Doc, it's so good to see you. I've missed you," Randall whispered into his ear as they embraced.

Randall looked the same. His red hair and bright blue eyes reminded Spencer of the reason he was attracted to him in the first place. He had a glowing smile, and he was someone Reid could fall in love with if given half a chance. It didn't happen, but it could have.

"SSA Aaron Hotchner. Spencer's…"

"Unit Chief," Reid tossed out quickly to cut off Hotch, not exactly comfortable with the meeting of his past and his present right there in the middle of a case.

"And his boyfriend," Hotch stated with a bite in his voice. Spencer felt a hand placed possessively on his hip as the other hand jutted forward to shake the young doctor's hand.

"Oh, wow. I didn't know that sort of thing was allowed. Great to meet you. Spencer's a great guy and deserves the best. So, why am I here?" the man asked as he turned to Reid.

Reid took a deep breath and turned to Hotch. "You need to sit with Garcia to see if we can figure out where's the rest of the Rusnak family and what were they doing in Miami. We need more background, and we need to get Nicky out of here and into the custody of Fran. Call the Chicago field office to send one of our agents to talk to Dennison at CPD. He can get one of Morgan's sisters down here to pick up Nicky without anyone knowing."

Reid was happy to see Hotch snap out of his jealousy. "We'll talk about this later. I'll be back."

With that, Arron was gone and Reid could take a deep breath. He turned to Randall and smiled. "Forgive him. He's new to the queer world, and I'm not entirely convinced he isn't just here on a visitor's pass. Anyway, my friend, Derek…" Reid began as he led the man inside and quickly introduced him. He explained the situation and explained to him about the woman handcuffed to the drainpipe in the bathroom.

"I can knock her out so she's quiet. It won't hurt her," Randall offered. Reid saw Rossi smile and nod.

"That would be helpful, Randall," Reid told him as he led the man into the bathroom.

Three hours later, the team, including Morgan and little Nicky, were in another condo Garcia had secured under an alias. They'd contacted the Miami field office and had several agents dispatched undercover to ferret out what the Rusnak family was up to in Miami.

Between Randall and Hotch, they'd arranged for transport of Morgan to a private facility in Lauderdale where they could better care for him, along with a security detail to watch over him. Morgan hadn't awakened from what appeared to be a drug-induced coma, so they weren't taking chances.

Garcia was taking care of Nicky because when Detective Dennison attempted to contact Morgan's sisters and mother, they were all unavailable. Instead of alerting the family to Morgan's condition until they had more information, Penelope decided to step in and take care of the boy. She'd learned the girls had taken Fran on vacation, so the team had decided to wait for them to return to Chicago.

Seeing Garcia with Nicky was amazing. The two of them fed off of each other's positive energy, Prentiss had speculated. Reid deduced Emily was likely right…the boy was drawn to Garcia because of her flamboyant and innately happy personality. She was quite stimulating to the five senses, and with a child forming his own personality, the stimulation would have been agreeable…exciting even. Garcia wasn't dull…not to animal, vegetable, mineral, or thirteen-month old baby boys.

There were still a lot of things to work out, but with the recovery of Morgan and Nicky, the team was certain they could survive anything. They were in it together. All for one…and all.

…

Thank you for reading.


	9. Chapter 9

_**[A/N:**_ _Sorry last night's chapter was short, but we're moving on. The real purpose is to get Hotch and Reid together, right? Thank you for reading (over 100 of you are reading every chapter! Thanks) and thank you to the reviewers. I greatly appreciate your words.]_

 _I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow with no infringement in mind._

…

Chapter 9.

"We've been contacted by the Chief of Police for St. Louis County. In the aftermath of the events that took place in Ferguson, MO, the police force is in shambles. Ferguson has its own police force, and let's just say things weren't handled very well.

"The County LEOs are under intense scrutiny since the riots and backlash from the surrounding communities due to the shooting death of Michael Brown. They've undergone a shake-up with the resignation of the Chief of Police in Ferguson. The residents have lost all trust and respect for local law enforcement and they're not keen on offering any cooperation. There've been six bodies in three weeks, and they have no leads," JJ began as she briefed the staff in the briefing room.

 _The two-week stand down was over. Morgan was recovering in a private facility in Chicago, and Nicky was settled with Fran. He'd been fed a steady diet of opiates while in Miami, but once the effects wore off, Morgan became coherent and got control of what could have been an addiction before it became serious. Reid wished he'd had the same willpower when he got away from Hankel._

 _He chalked it up to Derek's fatherly need to care for his son because Magret had been arrested on a multitude of charges, not the least of which was unlawful interstate transport of controlled substances, tax fraud, kidnapping, and bigamy. She was in negotiations with the Feds regarding her knowledge of the Bratva. Her cousin/husband, Boris, was arrested as well, but he was uncooperative with the authorities. Things weren't looking up for either criminal._

 _One question was answered though, and it was how she was able to get pregnant with Nicky. Detective Tina Lopez, with whom the team had worked previously, had dogged Magret/Nina regarding the pregnancy and how the woman had completely snowed Derek. It turned out, Garcia was right…mostly._

 _Derek wasn't in town when the woman conceived because she'd saved every condom from every sexual encounter the couple had and implanted herself with the sperm, unknown to Morgan. She'd even frozen some and tried to make use of it by inserting it into her vaginal canal. Finally, something stuck, which explained why the due date had changed so many times._

 _The knowledge had skeeved everyone out, but Reid could see Garcia was smug because she'd deduced something of the sort. She knew Derek wasn't careless and she'd held fast to the theory he hadn't been around when the boy was conceived. Reid believed she'd put it out of her mind he was having sex with Magret on a regular enough basis for the woman to have the opportunity to get pregnant, but he knew how blind love could be. He suffered from the blinders as well._

 _Reid silently hoped Magret/Nina would make a deal for her testimony and be deported back to Russia after the trials. With her out of the country, Morgan and Nicky would be safe. Morgan didn't seem to care about what happened to Magret at all, which relieved all of the members of the BAU._

##

Hotch was reviewing the St. Louis file, looking for anything that created a pattern. It wasn't glaring, and his head wasn't straight because over the remainder of the stand-down period after they'd returned from Miami, he'd barely seen Reid.

 _The handsome, young doctor had spent time with Garcia because she was devastated regarding the treatment Derek Morgan had received at the hands of the Bratva, namely his wife. The doctors had speculated they were escalating Morgan's medication so it appeared he was an addict when the inevitable overdose happened. Everyone was pissed about it._

"We'll check in at the motel before heading to the local precinct. I made the reservations myself, and we're only allowed three rooms under the new budget mandated by the Director. I'll share with Rossi," Hotch suggested, knowing there was no way it would happen.

"Nope. I stay alone," Rossi objected.

"I'll share with JJ. You share with Reid. Queen Rossi can have her own room," Prentiss suggested with a smile. Aaron laughed because it had gone exactly as he'd wished. He needed to have a discussion with Reid, and sharing a room was the best way to ensure it would happen.

It was time for some truths between the men. Sharing a room was the best way to address it, even if it wasn't the best timing. Something had to give, after all. The opportunity hadn't presented itself in Miami because they'd checked out of the hotel in favor of staying at the condo, and they slept in shifts…not at all the way Hotch had planned.

…

Hotch stood next to Reid as he studied the map on the wall of the conference room the SLCPD had supplied in their North County precinct near where the crimes were committed. Reid was working on the geographic profile, and it was too narrow and too large at the same time to be of any help without more information.

 _The previous night hadn't gone as planned. There were two double beds, and while Hotch was in the bathroom psyching himself up for the planned discussion, Reid fell soundly asleep. In good conscience, he couldn't climb into bed with the young agent without an expressed invitation, so he slept in the other bed…or rather tossed, turned, and stared at his roommate for most of the night. The last thing he was prepared to do was investigate a string of crimes, but it was the hand he was dealt._

Six people, two women and four men, ages seventeen to twenty-two, had been abducted from businesses in the near-Ferguson area at closing time. All were from nearby strip malls, and all were dumped back at their places of business the next morning. All were naked with evident signs of sexual assault and torture, though there was no DNA left behind on any of the victims.

Some of them had left the nest and started college, but some were yet to leave their parents' homes. The profile was yet to be refined because it was all over the boards, but they continued to work through it to come up anything each victim had in common.

"Let's go back to the hotel and get some rest. We need fresh eyes on this, and we've all been up far too long," Hotch insisted at nearly midnight.

"He's right. It's late, and I'm seeing double. We'll be better in the morning," Rossi supported.

They gathered their things and left the station, piling into two black SUVs. One with Rossi and Prentiss. One with Hotch, JJ, and Reid.

When they pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, they hopped out and went into the lobby. "Breakfast at seven?" Hotch asked, seeing it was nearly twelve-thirty.

Everyone nodded and went their separate ways, based on their room number. He and Reid took the elevator to the fourth floor where their room was located.

Once off the elevator, Hotch led the way down the hall and opened the door, flipping on a nearby light. Both men looked around, and when he heard Reid gasp, he knew exactly why. Hotch had changed their room that morning before they left the hotel. In place of the two double beds, there was a king-sized bed in the room. No pull-out couch and no chairs to be pulled together for a makeshift bed. It was exactly as Hotch wanted because there needed to be a discussion, and if the only way it could be had was to have the man in bed with him? So be it.

"This should work," Aaron stated as he moved into the room and tossed his briefcase on the small table. He saw his and Reid's go-bags in the corner, and he hoped the young man didn't have a fit because Hotch had paid for someone to repack their bags and relocate them to their new room.

Hotch proceeded to remove his gun and double-check the safety, placing it on the table by the bed. He continued to move around the room, seeing Spencer was frozen. "Spencer? What's wrong? I changed our room because the beds were awful. This was the only room available. I thought it would be okay. It is, right?" he asked as nonchalantly as possible.

"I, uh, maybe I should go see if JJ wants to share. I'm pretty sure Prentiss isn't going to…," the younger man whispered as he headed toward the door.

Hotch grabbed his hand and pulled him into an embrace, relieving him of the messenger bag he was never without. "No, Spencer. It's time we had a serious discussion. You've avoided it since before we ended up in Miami. I'm happy we found Morgan and he's safe with his family in Chicago, but you and me? We need to talk," Hotch stated as he led Reid further into the room.

He felt Reid trembling against him, so he leaned forward and brushed his lips against the full pout that Spencer Reid carried every day. It drove Aaron crazy, seeing those soft, pink, pillowy lips and knowing they weren't _his_ to kiss. The temptation finally became too much to ignore. Reid's lips pressed against his? It was heaven.

When he felt Spencer sink into the kiss, he wrapped his arms around the lanky agent. For too long, Aaron had denied his feelings and fought his impulses. That night, he didn't have the fight in him any longer.

He wouldn't push for sex, but he needed to make things clear between them. There was more than just professional courtesy and camaraderie. There were feelings to discuss and the sooner the better.

Aaron was happy when Spencer invited his tongue to play, and when he felt the young man's hands in his short hair, he steered them to the bed because standing in the room was kind of ridiculous. They _were_ going to share the bed, after all.

Hotch felt Reid's hands slip his suitcoat from his shoulders, and when it fell to the floor, Aaron pulled away. "Spence, we need to talk. Let's get ready for bed, okay? Please don't fall asleep on me tonight." Hotch wasn't happy his voice hitched up at his request but in that moment, Reid wasn't a subordinate. He was the man Hotch wanted for his own. That needed to be made clear.

The Unit Chief watched the younger man step back, looking worried. "No, Spence, you're not mistaken. I…I've had…I have feelings for you. I've had them since that shit in Georgia. I didn't do enough to find you and protect you, but I swear on my own life that will never happen again.

"You've been with me through a lot of shit after my divorce and then after Haley's death. You have to know how much I truly appreciate it. You're supportive of me, and the way you and Jack get along is incredible.

"I'm not the guy who ever opens up, as I'm sure you know. I don't know where your head is in this whole thing, but I'm going to be honest, Spencer. I'm _extremely_ attracted to you. I've tried to tell you more times than I can count, but something always gets in the way. I'm tired of hiding," Hotch explained.

He saw Spencer freeze for a moment, and then there was a slow smile. "There's a lot of chemistry behind attraction, but I've turned over a leaf not to offer statistics and scientific evidence in support of human emotions. You're an intelligent man. You don't need me to give you evidence regarding why someone has an attraction to someone else.

"You're stating you're attracted to me, and I'm going to ask why. Transference is the first thing that comes to mind. You believe you have feelings for me because I've offered you support and friendship through an extreme, life-altering time in your life," Reid offered.

Hotch chuckled. "Really? You're asking why I'm attracted to you? You think this has something to do with hero worship? Turn gratitude for support into feelings of fondness and adulation?"

Reid nodded and didn't offer any additional explanation, so Aaron took a deep breath. "Okay, well, I took notice of you when Gideon brought you on board. You were awkward, but it was so sweet, I couldn't keep my eyes off you. I watched you quietly for those first few years, trying to figure you out. You were shy and stayed to yourself until we had a case, at which time, you became vocal and offered opinions and theories in order to be helpful, but there was always a look of worry on your face when you spoke up. I wanted to know why you questioned yourself all the time, but I wasn't in the position to delve further into anything, plus I was worried about the feelings I was developing.

"After Haley left me, you went out of your way to spend time with me, and you never complained about what we did during that time. You didn't flinch at the stupid shit I watched on TV. _'Cops'_ is _really_ a mindless, stupid show, but you'd sit and eat crappy takeout with me while we watched it. You'd clean up around my apartment when I didn't give a shit and give me a little wave before you left for the night.

"You didn't push me for details regarding the divorce; you were just there as a supportive friend. You didn't ask me if Haley was cheating, which I believe she was, and you didn't offer any opinion at all regarding the reason for the demise of my marriage. You never mentioned anything regarding my dealings with Kate Joyner in New York, even after Morgan blew up at me. You also never answered any questions your colleagues had regarding my personal life.

"When I was released from the hospital after the stabbing, you stayed at my house after you got back from a case, even though I told you to leave. You ignored my ugly rants and you smiled at me as I cussed you out because you forced me to do my PT so I could get back to my job, which was the only thing that was keeping me going when Haley and Jack were in WitPro.

"After Haley was murdered, you came to my house to take care of Jack and me. You shopped for groceries and took out the trash. You made sure there was gas in both of the cars, and you didn't try to push me to talk. You kept Jack entertained when I couldn't. You made sure he was engaged in something to keep his mind off the fact his mother was dead, and you never made a big deal of it. It just… _it was."_

Reid smiled as he grabbed his toiletry kit. "Hotch, its fine. Yes, I helped you out, but that was because I didn't see anyone stepping up to do it. Remember, I have abandonment issues, so of course, I'm going to step in to help a little boy who's lost his mother."

After Reid closed the bathroom door, Aaron sat down on the left side of the bed and took deep breaths. He was about to expose his soul to the gorgeous young man who was in the bathroom, likely hiding from him out of shock.

He knew when he'd started confessing to Reid that the doctor would panic, but it was really too late to pull back. Aaron Hotchner was in love with Spencer Reid…Dr. Spencer Reid. The fact the guy had three PhDs and multiple bachelors' was a total turn on. He knew the young man was unique with his eidetic memory and his ability to read an average length novel in about half an hour,not to mention his IQ. Aaron prayed he wasn't misjudging shit with regard to the body language he'd picked up from Reid of late. Spencer Reid had to feel something for him.

…

 _Thoughts? Please review…_


	10. Chapter 10

_[A/N: Thank you for reading. I appreciate it. I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow.]_

…

Chapter 10.

When Reid closed the bathroom door, he tossed his toiletry kit on the counter and turned on the water. He wasn't sure what was happening. Hotch had kissed him. That wasn't anything he could comprehend.

They were going to share a king-sized bed? When in the name of the universe had the fates turned against him? The chances Spencer _wouldn't_ wake up humping Hotch in the middle of the night were similar to the chances he'd get struck by lightning…one in seven-hundred-thousand. The odds were definitely not in his favor.

The night before, he'd taken an organic sleep aid in order _not_ to stare at his boss when the man went to bed. The last thing he wanted was for Aaron... _Hotch_ …to think him a creeper. It had worked well. Reid didn't even hear Hotch come back into the bedroom.

Of course, his time was up. Hotch wanted to talk…had already set the stage for confessions to be made. Reid wasn't sure if he was ready to make those confessions.

 _KNOCK! KNOCK!_ "Spence, you okay? We're having this conversation, so you might as well come out," Hotch announced through the door.

Reid splashed water on his face and looked at himself in the mirror. " _You might as well be honest and tell him you're in love with him so you can scare him away. He'll freak out, and you'll be left alone, but you'll head off the heartbreak you're running toward. It's the smartest thing to do,_ " the little devil on his shoulder told him.

" _Don't be stupid. You have a great relationship with him and you have Jack to think about. You've grown close to the boy. You don't want to hurt him by having his father send you away. He's come to rely on you to be around. Don't mess it up. You know how it feels to be left behind,"_ the angel on his other shoulder whispered.

Spencer considered perhaps his mother's schizophrenia had finally caught up with him for a moment, but he quickly pushed it down. It was an old fear he no longer gave credence. If he was ever going to have a psychotic break, it would have been after Tobias Hankel, or when he was fighting to get off Dilaudid. He'd cleared those hurdles and a few more, and for once in his life, he was proud of himself. Those demons were no longer in control.

"Spencer? Please come out," Hotch requested quietly.

Reid dried his face and hands and took a deep breath. He wasn't sure who would win, but at the end of the night, things would be decided.

##

When the bathroom door opened, Hotch observed the young agent's stance. It was relaxed for the most part leading him to believe Reid had come to some sort of decision or conclusion. What Reid was pondering, Hotch didn't know, but something had been settled in his beautiful mind.

"Can we sit down and talk? Would you like something to drink?" Hotch asked as he went to the mini bar.

"Is there any brandy in there?" Reid asked.

Hotch pulled out two mini-bottles of _Woodford Reserve_ for himself and two mini-bottles of _Hennessy_ for Reid.

There wasn't a snifter, so Hotch poured the brandy into a highball glass and handed it to the younger man. He poured his bourbon into a glass of the same sort, adding a few cubes of ice. They sat at the small table in the room and stared at each other for a few moments, both formulating their thoughts.

Reid cleared his throat first. "You wanted to talk. So, talk."

Hotch took a sip and placed his drink on the table, twining his fingers together to hide the shaking of his hands. He was nervous. He was more nervous than he'd been in his whole life because he was doing something he'd never done before in his life. He was hoping to begin a romantic relationship with a man about whom he cared very much.

"Okay. Um, when you started hanging out with me after Haley left, I thought you were kinda a pain in the ass because you'd come in spouting the strangest trivia when the only thing I wanted to do was jump into a bottle and drown. She took my son from me, and she took away my home base which I'd counted on to keep me sane. I _needed_ to be at home. I needed the stability of having a permanent place to be, and even though she and I had headed down a path of leaving each other behind, I never formulated a back-up plan.

"That was, until you came along. In a very un-Reid like manner, you forced yourself into my space and made sure I ate on a regular basis and had clean clothes to wear. You'd drag me to the grocery by shaming me into having food so when Jack came for visitation, I'd be able to feed him. I know I didn't tell you how grateful I was at the time, but I wouldn't have survived that time if it hadn't been for you.

"After Foyet…after he attacked me, I remember waking up to see you sitting at my bedside with a book. You didn't say anything, and you didn't ask me anything, you were just _there._ Every time I woke, you were there. I've never asked, but for days, I know you didn't leave the hospital, and I'm going to ask you now… _why?"_

He saw Reid look up with a bit of panic, and he couldn't have that. "No, don't get upset. I'm not accusing you of anything. I'm just curious," Hotch explained.

He watched as Reid toyed with a coin while he seemed to be deep in thought. Finally, he flipped the coin in the air, which Aaron snatched up with one hand. It wasn't a typical coin. It was a token. It was bronze with a set of praying hands on it, surrounded by the phrase, " _But for the Grace of God."_ On the reverse side was the _Serenity Prayer_.

"Congratulations," Hotch offered.

Reid chuckled. "I wouldn't have that coin if it wasn't for you, you know. You were the first person to hold me after I killed Tobias. I know it was just you being our Unit Chief, but for me, it was an extended hand of support and friendship.

"My mother couldn't offer me the support I needed, and Gideon, well, he just backed off, but you made me see I needed to get myself together. Every time you'd look at me, I felt like you were challenging me to get myself together before it became an issue with the Bureau, so I did. I wouldn't have that token if it wasn't for you," Reid finished.

Hotch swallowed. "I, also, don't think I'd be where I am if it wasn't for you, Spencer. I want us to consider where these events have led us. I want us to see if we have enough here to make a relationship."

Hotch watched Reid's hands begin to spin his glass of brandy. When the young man stopped spinning it, he looked up with tears in his eyes. "I'd love to say I did it out of friendship, but I can't say that and be convincing. I've been in…attracted to you for a very long time, Hotch.

"I don't need you to say anything, okay? I know that kiss was just…" Reid began.

"Spencer, you don't know anything," Hotch cut him off as he walked around the table and took the young man's hand, pulling him to his feet. He brushed his lips against the doctor's, and when he heard the beautiful agent sigh, he pushed the two of them toward the large bed in the room.

Once he had Spencer on his back, he pulled away and looked into those beautiful honey-brown eyes. "You and me, Doctor Reid, we have a lot of unfinished business. I'm not one who wants to share, so I want to know about that doctor in Miami."

Reid giggled. "So, the poker-faced Aaron Hotchner has a little bit of jealousy in him? That _boyfriend_ comment was a little premature, wasn't it?"

Hotch leaned forward and brushed his lips over Reid's. They were soft, just as the Unit Chief had always speculated. They gently parted and Hotch could see the smile on Reid's face. "So, you were serious?"

After a chuckle, Hotch answered. "As a heart attack. We can take this as slow or fast as you'd like. I've been dealing with my feelings for a considerable amount of time, but I'm not sure where you are, so I'll be patient.

"Now, get your ass in bed. I'll be right back and we can maybe snuggle a little?" Hotch asked.

Reid giggled and nodded as Hotch went to the bathroom and closed the door. It was going better than he'd anticipated. He hoped his luck held.

##

" _How will I know if he really loves me…I say a prayer with every heartbeat…"_ The song was playing in Reid's head. He wasn't really a Whitney Houston fan, but the song was one he'd heard at one point or another, and it was playing through his head unbidden as he watched Aaron Hotchner stroll out of the bathroom with a smile on his face.

"Relax, Spencer. I'm not going to do anything to you. Sleeping together doesn't have to be a big deal. The bed's big enough."

After Aaron settled on the bed and turned out the light on his side, Reid decided to take a chance. He scooted across the mattress and snuggled up behind his boss. For a moment, he questioned his own sanity, but when he felt the man next to him…all bets were off.

Reid was shocked when Hotch spun around and pulled him into strong arms. "I knew you loved me. You've tried to hide it so well, but in my heart, I knew you loved me," Hotch whispered into Reid's hair.

Reid couldn't answer, but Hotch didn't stop his prolificacy. "You loved me before Haley left me. That's why you were…God, that's why you were there to keep me from spiraling into the abyss. You've loved me longer than I've loved you, but I'd challenge you to say I don't love you as much.

"We have to be careful because if Strauss finds out we're together, she'll fire one of us and it will likely be me. Until we figure out a way to keep from being investigated by IA, we have to stay under the radar," Hotch suggested.

Reid kissed Hotch's neck and pulled down the t-shirt he was wearing so he could get to that spot over his heart. He let his lips rest over it, and closed his eyes, feeling the beat. The beat he always worried about when the team went into harm's way. Hotch was always the first to storm in if Morgan wasn't there, and every time…every fucking time…Reid worried about the outcome. When Hotch had been stabbed by Foyet, Reid nearly lost his damn mind. He had to hold it inside, but after Hotch left the hospital and was being hovered over by Garcia, JJ, and Prentiss, Reid actually went to an Episcopal church because during his research, he'd learned they were the most accepting of people who were like him…people who were gay.

Reid went there to give thanks for the fact Hotch was alive (just in case there was someone _up there_ ). While there, he spoke with a pastor who was cleaning the church. After a discussion of how Reid viewed the probability of a higher power, Dr. Caroline Stone invited him to attend a Sunday service.

Reid had found her to be very intelligent, and she didn't hide behind her religion. She was honest regarding her beliefs of the acceptance she perceived a higher power would offer. " _I believe God is loving, accepting, and forgiving. I don't believe He judges us. He created us, after all," she told Reid as she smiled brightly._

 _When an attractive blonde woman walked in, Dr. Stone rose and embraced her. "How was your day, my darling?" Dr. Stone asked. The woman sighed and kissed Dr. Stone's lips before she sat down. It was then Reid saw the blonde was pregnant._

" _Tommy Richards put gum in Leslie Gray's hair. I spent the afternoon with a jar of peanut butter and a lice comb. I want ice cream," the blonde offered as she stroked her belly._

 _Dr. Stone laughed. "Dr. Reid, this is my wife, Karen Stone. We're expecting a baby in three months," the pastor said as she gently caressed her wife's baby bump._

" _Congratulations. I appreciate your time, Dr. Stone. I'll be back some time. I just need to figure out some things," he announced as he shook both women's hands. He wished them well and left the church. He had a lot to consider, but he knew in his heart, Aaron Hotchner was what he wanted. He'd seen a happy couple who were expecting a baby. It was possible. It was possible._

…

 _[I know you're impatient, but we're getting there!]_


	11. Chapter 11

_[A/N: Thank you for reading! I don't own Criminal Minds. I just borrow.]_

…

Chapter 11.

"Where were you?" Jack Hotchner asked with a bit of venom in his voice after Jessica Brooks invited Reid inside the Hotchners' apartment.

Hotch had a meeting with Strauss that afternoon upon their return from St. Louis, and he'd sent Reid a text to go to his house and wait for him. They'd gone straight from the airport to the office after arresting a security guard who worked on a rotation at the three shopping malls where the victims worked. When they'd searched his home, they found trophies he'd kept from each of the crimes.

The UnSub's motivation for his actions boiled down to the experiences he'd endured in high school. He'd been bullied due to his sexuality. He'd vacillated between gay and straight, and being different in his high school wasn't popular. Each of his victims represented someone who had rejected him when he was in school based on the photos taped inside his closet, and he was taking out latent rage on their replacements.

The confession, which was shouted at Rossi from the interrogation room in the SLCPD Precinct, made Reid think about his own sexuality, and he was quite happy to have finally settled into the gay camp. Where Aaron Hotchner settled remained to be seen.

"I've been working, young Hotch. I thought we could finish our Lego house while we watched this," Reid stated to the boy as he pulled the movie, _"Despicable Me"_ from his bag and handed it to Jack.

"Oh, man! I wanted to see this," the young boy stated as he took Spencer's hand and pulled him into the apartment. Reid saw Jessica Brooks with a bright smile on her face standing to the side.

"Hello, Dr. Reid. How've you been?" she asked.

"Uh, busy. Please call me Spencer. How are you, Jess?" he asked as he removed his messenger bag from his person. He dropped it on the floor by the door and picked up Jack who was studying the movie Reid had offered.

The three of them walked into the kitchen. "Aaron called earlier and asked that I put steaks into a marinade. I guess you guys will figure out your dinner," she stated as she began gathering her things.

"We'll be fine. How was your vacation? You've been back for a bit of time. I'm sure you were missed," Reid told her as he held Jack on his hip.

She turned and smiled at him serenely. "I got married, as a matter of fact. My wife is waiting at home for me. Can you broach the subject with Aaron? I've been too afraid to tell him, but it's at the point where I need to tell him. Chelsea and I want to have Jack in our lives, but it's up to Aaron. I know he needs to think it through, but I'm not sure how receptive he'll be to this turn of events," she told Reid.

Reid put Jack on his feet and knelt down. "Can you get the Legos? I wanna talk to Aunt Jess."

Jack scurried off, and Reid opened his arms, pulling her inside. "Congratulations, Jess. Does Aaron know anything about…uh, anything?"

The blonde laughed. "No. He and Haley were so damn closed minded, I never told them anything about my personal life, _BUT…_ I'm glad he has you as a good friend. Maybe you can pry open his mind a little. I'd like all of us to be closer moving forward, okay?" she asked as she gathered her things to leave.

Reid smiled because he hoped she'd be supportive of the relationship he and Aaron were building. "I'll be right there for you as much as you've been there for Jack and Aaron. Don't make it too long until we meet your wife," he suggested.

When she kissed his cheek, he couldn't hold back the smile. Life would move forward, and one had to keep up. That was the immediate lesson he learned.

##

"Agent Hotchner, your unit has put the Bureau under a microscope with the media and on The Hill," Section Chief Strauss snapped at him after he stood next to the guest chair across from her desk. Meeting with her hadn't been his choice at all. It was an order, and while he was a team player, Erin Strauss had never been on Aaron Hotchner's team.

She had a stack of files in front of her, and Hotch was pretty sure they were the 'fails' for his team. When a team went into a case, there was never a guarantee of a happy ending. Hell, there was never a happy ending because when the BAU was called in, it was because of a horrific crime, or more than one, and the most the team hoped for was to lessen the body count.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I don't see how I put the Bureau in jeopardy. We've worked every case to the best of our abilities and attempted to achieve the best outcome possible. I'd appreciate an explanation regarding our failure," Hotch told her as he unbuttoned his jacket and took the seat she'd motioned toward.

"You, without authorization from my office, used Bureau resources to take your team to Miami when you were on a stand down _you'd_ requested after Agent Morgan's wedding. On top of that, you never notified me of the purpose for the trip.

"The paperwork filed after the fact was less than enlightening, stating it was, and I quote… ' _a recovery mission involving a fellow officer and minor child.'_ That gave me no information whatsoever. Then, I receive notice from you informing me SSA Morgan was injured on his honeymoon and has requested short-term disability in order to recover from an accident. There's no description of his injuries, nor is there a timeline for his return to active duty. I've called IA to review the situation. You're suspended for two weeks during the investigation," Strauss announced with a smirk Hotch didn't appreciate.

He held his tongue, knowing nothing he could offer would change her mind, and he rose from his chair. "Yes ma'am. I appreciate your time."

He didn't wait for anything further from her. He went to his office to gather the few things he thought might be able to keep him occupied for two weeks, and he headed home. He hoped Spencer was there as he'd requested, but things were up in the air between them, which was unsettling.

When he pulled into his parking space at his apartment building, he saw the ugly blue Volvo Reid drove parked in a visitor space. Hotch was sure his smile could be seen from the tenth floor of his building, if not the Space Station.

He took a deep breath before he unlocked the door of his apartment. He heard a discussion between his son and the man he wanted to lock into a permanent relationship, and he could only smile.

"Why do I have to be able to add things together in my head? I have a calculator," Jack stated.

The camp Jack was attending reinforced basic skills the kids had learned at school the year prior, and with Jack heading to second grade, they were reinforcing the skills the campers should have learned during first grade, which was addition without the aid of electronics.

"Because some day, there might be a time when you need to be able to add some things in your head and you won't have a calculator with you. Look, wouldn't you want to know if somebody was ripping you off when you have your own business? Sometimes you have to be able to add things together fast, so you'll want to be on your toes about it," Hotch heard Reid suggest.

When Hotch heard Jack laugh, he smiled. "What's that mean? On my toes? I don't need my toes to count, Reid."

When Spencer Reid giggled, Aaron Hotchner took a deep breath. Hearing Reid with Jack, it made him smile. He didn't give a shit about Strauss suspending him. In his mind, it was time to spend with family.

"Anybody home?" Hotch called as he took off his gun and moved toward the closet to put it in the safe.

"We're here," he heard behind him. He turned to see Jack with a smile. Spencer was standing next to him with a bright smile as well.

"Spence, where's your side…" Hotch began.

"In my car. I didn't bring it inside, Hotch," Reid answered.

Aaron smiled. "First, when we're home, we're _Spencer_ and _Aaron_ , and the code to my gun safe is your birthday. Bring it inside and put it in the safe. With the sh…stuff we deal with, we need to make sure things are secure and available as necessary.

"Second, I'm actually suspended pending an investigation by Strauss and her henchmen. It's over the Miami stuff, but I don't really care. I'm looking forward to the time off because I think Jack and I might start looking for a house. Your lease is up when?" Hotch asked.

Reid froze, and then began sputtering. "Aaron, we…we can't even…we can't begin to think about any type of…"

"I'm in love with you. That's all we need to think about," Hotch stated.

…

 _[E/N: Oooooh! No I didn't… Sorry it's short. Catch it tomorrow night, friends. Thanks for Reiding : ) ]_


	12. Chapter 12

_[A/N: I know you're still out there reading, so thank you. I don't own Criminal Minds. I just borrow.]_

…

Chapter 12.

Reid took a deep breath. "W-why…H-how do you know you're in love with me? You've never been in a…" He looked to see Jack was still in the area, so he tempered his language.

"Aaron, you're still recovering from a trauma. We are _very_ good friends, and I'm more than happy to spend time with you and Jack," he offered.

"Jack, go wash up for dinner," Hotch ordered.

As the boy headed down the hallway, Reid started to follow him, just to be sure he washed his hands. When Hotch grabbed his arm and pulled him close, Reid was surprised.

"He can wash his hands on his own. I need you to explain to me how you feel about me…about the possibility of _us_. I'm in a quagmire right now and I need something to hold onto, so please tell me. It's not just _my_ heart at stake, Spencer," Aaron stated quietly, glancing down the hall in the direction his son had taken.

When the young doctor took a deep breath and walked forward to where Aaron Hotchner stood, it wasn't to criticize him. It wasn't to do anything but show the love he felt deep inside his soul. It was the love he'd felt for a long time. He was just waiting for Aaron to catch up to him.

Reid leaned forward and gently kissed Aaron Hotchner, still waiting to wake from the wonderful dream. In his mind, he couldn't comprehend the two of them being in love and kissing. He couldn't fathom a world where Hotch would hold him and be happy to have him in his home. It was impossible to think the man was considering the two of them living together.

When he pulled away, he looked into Hotch's dark brown eyes and smiled. "Okay, um, I love you as well. You're not in this alone, Aaron. I think, however, that any talk of moving in together should be tabled. We've barely started down the relationship path. I'd say we give it some time before we pick out china patterns," Reid suggested as the two held each other.

The uncharacteristic laugh from Hotch's lips made Spencer smile. "Fine. You win this round. I'll start dinner."

They kissed again before Hotch took off his suit jacket and tie, laying them over the back of the couch before he left the room as he rolled up his sleeves.

Spencer felt a tug on his slacks and looked down to see Jack with a bright smile. He was holding a bucket of Legos and offered it to Reid before he bolted down the hallway to return with the green yard base and the house the two had begun constructing previously.

Reid took it from him and smiled. "After dinner, okay? First, let's go help your dad." Without argument, Jack took the taller man's hand and led him to the kitchen where Aaron was chopping new potatoes into small chunks before adding them to boiling water.

The three worked together to create a meal of steak, rosemary potatoes, and a garden salad. After dinner, they retired to the living room where the three of them settled on the floor to work on the white Colonial and its surrounding buildings and accoutrements. Reid had noticed how Hotch had quizzed Jack regarding what he'd like in a house as the three worked together to fix dinner and listened to music. It was one of the best evenings of Reid's life.

Later that night when he settled between the sheets of his own bed, Reid smiled as he looked at the ceiling. "I'm not sure if you exist, but in the event you do, I'd be remiss if I didn't offer my thanks for this evening. Spending time with Aaron and Jack was truly a gift. I don't take it lightly."

He then turned on his left side and pulled the extra pillow closer. When he closed his eyes, he could pretend it was Aaron. That helped him fall asleep faster than warm milk.

…

The buzzing of his phone awakened Reid from a delightful dream wherein he and Aaron were engaging in some very amorous activities on the briefing table in the BAU, and just as it was about to get really, _really_ good, his phone went off like an emergency alert message.

" _Reid!"_ He hated he sounded breathless, but he was extremely aroused and likely about to make a mess in his briefs. If timing was everything, his caller definitely lacked it.

"Hello, my darling partner in crime solving. We have a case. Oh, and we also have a problem. Our illustrious leader has a personal emergency and won't be joining us. The case is local, thankfully. Prentiss is running point on this one since Derek's still in Chicago. Briefing table in an hour," Garcia explained.

He could hear her fingers fluttering over the keys of her keyboard, so he knew she was already at the Bureau. It pissed him off Strauss had told the Unit Hotch had a family emergency, but he'd deal with it later. He quickly showered to wake up, and then dressed. He grabbed his go bag just in case, and he was out of the building in thirty-five minutes.

When he arrived, he dropped his things at his desk and went to the break room to grab a cup of coffee from the fancy new coffeemaker Garcia had worked her magic to requisition. The coffee was better, but it only made one cup at a time which was a pain in the ass with Reid's addiction.

He made his way to the conference room to see JJ and her husband, Detective Will LaMontagne. "Hey, Will," Spencer greeted. He waved and smiled before Will laughed and pulled him into a man hug.

"How are ya, Spence? Henry was just askin' last evenin' when Uncle Spence was gonna come over for a visit. You've been a stranger," Will teased.

JJ giggled. "I have the feeling our young genius has been very busy of late, though he won't 'fess up. Do we know what Hotch's emergency was?" JJ asked, changing the subject, which didn't hurt Spencer's feelings at all.

"Erin said it was because Jack was ill. I tried to call him, but it went to voicemail," Rossi offered as he made his way into the room and took a seat.

"Erin who?" Will asked. Reid wasn't certain what the DCPD detective was doing at Quantico, but he was sure someone else would ask the question. Hell, there were a lot of questions in need of asking, but until he had a handle on things, Reid was staying tight-lipped.

" _Section Chief Strauss,"_ the four people around the table heard as the woman herself walked into the room with a scowl.

Reid looked at Rossi. "I thought Emily was running point," he whispered.

"Kiddo, your guess is as good as mine," Rossi stated as Emily and Garcia walked into the room, both seeming surprised to see Erin Strauss and Will LaMontagne at the table.

Prentiss stood and took the remote from JJ. "I've got it."

Prentiss began showing pictures of the three young male victims, ages fifteen to seventeen. Each victim had duct tape over their mouths and eyes. Their hands were bound to their naked thighs, one on each side, and their genital area had been mutilated, showing signs of torture. "Three teenagers from Fauquier County were found dead at a campsite in the Shenandoah National Forest this evening.

"The Park Ranger went to check their campsite because none of them had reported to the Ranger Station today as was required in order for them to earn their Eagle Scout status. These boys were readying the campsite for an upcoming Scout Jamboree they were sponsoring later this week and over the weekend. They'd been given approval to clear brush and create fire pits for when they were joined by a few Scout Troops from the area," Prentiss explained.

The group was stunned at the horrific pictures they were viewing. Finally, Rossi cleared his throat. "Who's working the crime scene and why were we invited?"

JJ stood and nodded. "There's a fourth young man who wasn't present at the campsite. At this point, we don't know if he's also a victim or if he's the UnSub. I asked Will to sit in because he was an Eagle Scout in Louisiana, and I thought he might be able to offer insight into the requirements for reaching Eagle Scout status and aid in the search since we're a man down with Morgan's absence."

Everyone nodded and turned to look at Strauss. "Obviously, I'm here because Agent Hotchner is on emergency leave. Agent Prentiss is running point at Agent Rossi's suggestion, but I felt it was necessary for me to observe how the team operates on a case.

"We need to get out to the scene. I know you weren't given a head's up regarding the fact we'd be working in a wooded area, so if anyone needs to stop for gear, there's a Walmart in Front Royal. We should get going," Strauss stated as she rose from her chair.

Reid wanted to slap the woman for her deception, but it would leave his team short-handed after he'd been arrested for assault, so he nodded and followed them out to the waiting cars.

He ended up in the SUV with Rossi and Prentiss. Strauss wanted to ride with JJ and Will, and Reid was grateful he wouldn't have to endure her endless inquiries regarding Aaron's job performance. The woman had a vendetta. It was quite obvious.

He was seated in the back and leaned forward. "So, you both know what she said is total bullshit regarding Hotch, right?"

Rossi started the vehicle and smiled. "She's out to fire him at any cost, Spencer. She'd like to get rid of me as well because I rebuked her advances because I'm…we're not going to let her win, right, Emily?"

Reid smiled when Rossi squeezed Emily's hand that rested on the console between the two of them, happy to see another love connection in the BAU. "Why's she so dead-set to get rid of Aaron?"

Rossi merged onto the highway and looked in the rearview smiling at Reid. "She has aspirations of becoming the Director and there's one person she believes stands between her and that job, and it's not the Deputy Director. It's Aaron.

"Erin Strauss has no respect for John Carpenter. She goes around him at every opportunity because she believes he was a patronage appointee. She doesn't believe Carpenter would ever be offered up as the candidate for Director, so she discounts him and goes directly to the Director. She's kept the Director abreast of everything going on in Aaron's life in order to discredit him as a plausible replacement for Director when he retires in two years. She knows Aaron would do a better job than her, and she's not going down without a fight," Rossi explained, apparently surprising both Reid and Prentiss, if the young agent was judging the look on her face correctly.

Instead of answering, Spencer scooted back in the seat and thought things through. If Aaron was being considered for the Director's job in the future, there would be no room for him to have a gay lover. It would be detrimental to Aaron's career if the two men continued down the path, so Reid made a decision. He'd dial things back to the two remaining friends. He'd never come between Aaron and his future success.

Reid was sure Aaron's feelings were a passing fancy anyway. Eventually, the older man would return to the land of women and leave Reid behind. It would be better to prepare his heart for the inevitability of the loss. He was sure Hotch would be fine without him, so he made a promise to himself. After Aaron's suspension, Reid was going to look for a job outside the Bureau, maybe at the CIA or one of the field offices of the Bureau. If he didn't work with Aaron every day and cut all ties, he couldn't interfere in Aaron's professional life. That was the desired outcome. It was for the best.

…

 _[E/N: I've written a few other stories for Criminal Minds I'm still working on, but if I'm not good at it, please let me know so I don't post them.]_


	13. Chapter 13

_[A/N: Thank you for reading! I don't own Criminal Minds. No infringement intended.]_

…

Chapter 13.

"What do you think about this place?" Hotch asked his son as the two stood in the hallway of a house in southern Fairfax County. It was near enough to the job and Jack's school they'd be able to remain punctual, but it wasn't in the back yard of Headquarters so he couldn't have a private life.

After Reid explained to him about Jess's wedding in Las Vegas, Hotch had called her to come over for breakfast later that week. They'd talked things out, and he reassured her he was more than comfortable with the fact she was gay. He hinted he wasn't as straight as she believed, but she laughed him off with a _"Yeah right. A leopard doesn't change his spots, Aaron. You and Haley got along so well because you were both staunch tea-party-type Republicans. Chelsea and I won't make out in front of you or Jack, but we are married, and if he asks what it means, I'd like to explain it to him."_

Aaron actually welcomed it because if things progressed the way he hoped with Spencer, he'd have to have a similar discussion with Jack regarding his own love life as well. Things were changing, and Hotch was actually at a point in his life where he welcomed it.

Unfortunately, Jess and her new wife had decided to move to DC for jobs, so Aaron couldn't use them as a crutch any longer. It was time to make some decisions because he needed to be home for his son. As much as he loved the BAU, maybe it was time to leave?

If Spencer stayed with the Unit for which he was well suited, Aaron could keep the home fires burning. He could take a nine-to-fiver at the Bureau and be out from under Strauss. He could also be home for his son every night, which made him happy. The decision was easy.

"Is there room for you and Reid to have a room and a office?" Jack asked as he appeared to look around the first floor of the place.

It was white brick and two stories with a full basement and large laundry/mud room off the kitchen which lead to a two car garage. In Hotch's mind, it was the perfect place to start a life with Spencer. It would be perfect, the three of them living in that house together.

"There's room for Spencer and me to share an office, and there's room for you and a playroom. You understand, don't you, Spencer and I would be sharing a bedroom, right? I know it's a lot to understand, Jack. I love Spencer, and we want to sleep in the same room. Does that bother you?" Hotch asked the boy.

"What do you think?" the bubbly realtor asked as she breezed into the room where Hotch and Jack were looking out onto the deck off the back of the house.

When Jack giggled, Hotch paid attention. "Daddy, Reid can share my room. We can get bunk beds. He'd like it here. It's white like the house where he grew up. He told me it was his favorite house."

Hotch took a deep breath. "What else did Reid tell you about his growing up?"

"It was hot, but sometimes his mommy would spray him with the hose and let him run around the backyard. She still lives back there. He doesn't go see her much because she doesn't remember him all the time 'cause she's sick, but he remembers her like I remember Mommy.

"Reid said it's okay to remember Mommy. He said you'd want me to remember her," Jack told his father.

"Yeah, Buddy, I want you to remember your mommy like Reid remembers his. We can put up pictures of her if you want. I know this house isn't like the house we used to have, but we need a place to start over. Do you like it?" Hotch asked.

The boy smiled and put his arms around Hotch's neck, pulling his ear closer. "My home is wherever you are. That's what Reid told me after Mommy died and I asked him why I couldn't go back home. He said my home was wherever you were. He told me you'd make a home for me and we'd be happy, but Daddy, I want Reid to be in our home. Can't he be with us?"

Hotch held his son…his life…in his arms and closed his eyes. From the mouths of babes…

That afternoon, Aaron Hotchner put a contract on a two story, white-brick, single-family, Colonial house in a very nice neighborhood in Woodbridge. It had a nice front yard with a few mature trees and flowering bushes, along with a fenced backyard aching for a wooden fort swing set and maybe a pool in the future.

He hoped and prayed the object-of-his-affections could find it in him to settle in that space with the two Hotchner men. In Aaron's opinion, the house was designed for them. He just needed Reid to see it.

##

Prentiss called the group together to give the profile to local law enforcement. They'd gone over it several times, and the only thing that came to mind was something none of them wanted to contemplate…someone who had followed the boys to the campsite and had tortured and killed them one at a time. After running a background check on the fourth boy, they found him unlikely to have committed the sort of violence they'd seen in the crime scene photos. They speculated the fourth boy had somehow gotten away and gone to look for help.

"Based on the evidence at the crime scene and the interviews we've been able to have with witnesses and the victims' families, we believe we're looking for a male. Thirty to forty-five. He grew up in this area. He's camped in these woods, likely all his life, and he's probably been a member of the Boy Scouts when he was younger, maybe even been a Scout Master at some point." Prentiss told the cops in the room.

When the UnSub was caught in the woods five miles from where he'd killed the three aspiring Eagle Scouts, he had a seven-year old Cub Scout in his custody from a neighboring campground. He claimed he was going to teach the boy how to prepare to be the best Boy Scout he could be, and when Prentiss talked him down from stabbing the boy, they took the thirty-eight year old man into custody. He'd been victimized by his Scout Master as a teen, and wanted to save future Scouts from the same fate. Unfortunately, the flashbacks he had during the abductions caused him to act out with the three older teens which ended in their deaths.

The fourth Eagle Scout was found in the thick undergrowth near a small, man-made lake not far from the campsite. The boy, Trent Casey, had gone in search of a good place for fishing and was later found by the UnSub who was wandering the woods looking for Boy Scouts' campsites.

The ME determined Casey he died from anaphylaxis. The boy was stung by bees, and he didn't have his _EpiPen_. The UnSub told the other three boys their friend got sick and sent him out to find them. Unfortunately, they didn't question him, and the three ended up dead.

After the clean-up, the team went back to Quantico to wrap up the files. Spencer fell into bed a week after he'd left on assignment. When his phone chimed, he barely had the strength to pick it up.

 _I know you're home. Garcia sent me a text asking me how Jack was feeling, so I guess I know how Strauss explained my absence. I had hoped you'd come by here on your way home. We miss you. A_

Reid read it twice and took a deep breath before responding.

 _ **I need to sleep right now because I don't sleep well on the road, as I'm sure you remember. I'll call you tomorrow. We need to talk. Reid**_

Reid knew the whole ' _we need to talk_ ' script was the death knell to any relationship, but Aaron Hotchner had a career at the FBI which Reid wasn't willing to fuck up. A quick and dirty break from each other was for best.

##

Aaron walked into a chain sandwich store in Fair Oaks Mall where Spencer had requested the meeting take place. It was Wednesday of week two of Hotch's suspension. It was a public place, which worried the Unit Chief, but he wanted to know what was on the young man's mind so he took the seat and waited.

When the enigmatic, young doctor breezed into the room in a pair of jeans and a bulky sweater on a hot July day, Aaron Hotchner fell in love all over again.

"I'm here. What's on your mind, Spence? I've been trying to get you to come over since you returned from the Blue Ridge case," Aaron reminded after the young man stopped next to the table.

Spencer sighed. "I know what Strauss wants, and I know why. I can't get in your way, Aaron. I need to be totally out of the picture so you can fight her. You know better than anyone how she views me in the group. She alluded to my being a some sort of science savant and suggested perhaps I'm on the Autism Spectrum because I'm not good with social interactions.

"I didn't correct her because I don't believe she has the ability to understand the statements she made in front of the Chief of Police down there undermined my credibility immediately. After that, the man wouldn't even speak with me, showing visible signs of being uncomfortable in my presence. He certainly had no respect for anything I said regarding the case. My ability to add anything to the investigation was immediately compromised, and I refuse to go through it again.

"Like most ignorant people, she doesn't understand people who are different…namely, me. Therefore, I'm a threat she wants to neutralize as quickly as possible. She had to make herself look better in the eyes of the Police Chief, so she'd speak with me in private regarding the profile and then she would come up with some make-work job for me while they met with the other LEOs on the case, keeping me totally out of it.

"If any type of relationship was to develop between us, she'd ruin you. You have the potential to take her job and exceed her achievements, so she'll look for any reason to discredit and slander you.

"In order to take away that potential threat, I'm going to take myself out of the equation. I won't be a part of her schemes to undermine your career. I'm putting in for a transfer tomorrow when I return to work, and I might look for a job with the CIA," Reid explained.

Aaron took a sip of his iced tea and thought for a moment, finally smiling at what Reid explained. "No, Spence, you're not. I'm going to request a transfer when I go into the office on Monday. I can transfer to any number of sections and find a better situation which will enable me to take Jack to school and be home in time to pick him up from extended day. I won't have to travel, and I can get Jack settled into a normal life where his dad's not gone all the time.

"It's not a sacrifice, okay? It's what I need to do for my family. I love Jack, and I love you. You stay with the BAU and you show Strauss she doesn't know shit about you. I'll stay here and keep things sane so when you come home from a horrible case, you have people who love you and want to hold you until all the bad stuff fades into the background. I want to be your _home_ , Spencer," Aaron explained, looking into his eyes with nothing but sincerity.

He saw Reid's thumb go toward his mouth to chew at the nail, so he grabbed his hand and held it. Biting his nails was definitely a tell Reid had when he was worried. "I'm not hungry, and Jack's on a field trip to the Baltimore Aquarium. They won't be back until five-o'clock. Let's go home and talk," Aaron suggested with what he hoped was a tender smile.

When Reid stood and nodded, the two men left the shopping mall hand-in-hand. When they got to Spencer's old beater, Hotch kissed his lips gently before saying, "We'll talk about this car situation another day."

He saw Reid laughing as he climbed into the Volvo and headed in the direction of Hotch's apartment building. How he'd explain to Spencer he was buying a house not too far from Headquarters was something Hotch would need to think about, but he had more pressing issues. He wanted to show Spencer how much he loved him. A little Afternoon Delight was in order.

…

 _Thank you for reading. I hope to hear from you._


	14. Chapter 14

_[A/N: Thank you for reading. I'm not hearing from anyone, so I hope you're all still enjoying the story. This chapter gives us the reason for our M rating. Hope you enjoy it. CM isn't mine. I only borrow the characters.]_

…

Chapter 14.

Reid pulled into the visitor spot at Hotch's building and waited by the spot designated for Aaron's SUV. He saw the Honda sitting in the adjoining spot, and he smiled. He'd used the car when he was with Jack, and he'd actually become accustomed to driving it. It wasn't his cherished Volvo, but the car was safe and had Jack's booster inside.

Reid considered making a fair offer for the car and donating his Volvo to a local high school. It wasn't a muscle car or anything, but it was a _classic_ car. He'd bought it from a little old lady…literally…who only drove it to church and the store. She was leaving Virginia to move to Arizona with her sister and wouldn't have any need for it, so she'd advertised it for sale.

The car had been well-maintained, and perhaps a group of high school grease monkeys could bring it back to its original glory. If Hotch would be amenable to selling him the Honda, he'd be happy to send his beloved Volvo on to her next adventure.

When Aaron pulled into his designated spot, Reid walked over and opened his door, bowing at the waist as he extended his hand to help Hotch out. "M'lord."

Hotch stared at him with his typical cocked eyebrow, but he finally smiled and took Reid's hand, hopping off the running board and closing the door. "I won't require you to address me as such always, but every now and then might be nice."

Reid looked at him until he saw the slow smile and laugh. "Ah, the man jokes," Reid challenged.

Hotch locked his SUV and took Reid's hand, leading him to his building. On the elevator, he noticed the older man seemed to be going over something in his mind. His lips were moving slightly, and Reid didn't think he'd ever seen Aaron Hotchner so nervous. He'd seen the man (a skilled hostage negotiator) talk down some of the most heinous of criminals in his time at the BAU. The nervousness Reid was witnessing didn't make sense.

"What's wrong, Ho…Aaron?" Reid asked, remembering the request to be "Spencer and Aaron" off the clock.

Hotch looked at him and smiled. "I'm just wondering what your face looks like when you come." Those words caught Spencer off guard. He sputtered and then shut his mouth. He was pretty sure it wasn't becoming, and in that moment, he wanted to be _very becoming_ to SSA Aaron Hotchner.

After the door to Hotch's apartment opened, things happened very fast. Before Spencer knew what was happening, he was on the bed in Hotch's room and his sweater was on the floor, leaving him in his undershirt with lips sealed to his and a tongue pressing for entrance.

He pulled away from Aaron to catch his breath and was surprised to see the flush on Aaron's face. "I don't want to stop, Spence. I want to be with you. If you don't feel the same, please tell me now because I'm about to explode," the man whispered.

Reid looked into his brown eyes and smiled. "I want you, too. I love you, Aaron."

It seemed the granted permission was all Aaron needed. Clothes were flying around the room. A drawer was opened and lube and condoms came out, bouncing on the bed next to where the couple was grinding together, caught up in breathless kisses.

"I love you, too. I've never done this with a guy before, but I've taken the time during my suspension to study the ins and outs," Hotch said with a smirk.

Reid giggled. "Okay. I see you have the tools and equipment to get the job done. Technique is the key, SSA Hotchner."

With that, Spencer sat up and opened the bottle of lube, reaching for Aaron's right hand. He squirted some lube on the man's gun-calloused fingers before closing the lid and tossing it on the bed. "Now, you can go right to the main event, but if you want to have fun, and if you want _me_ to have fun…"

"I _definitely_ want you to have fun," Aaron stated as he moved the lubricant over his fingers and pushed Reid onto his back. Aaron lay next to him and leaned forward, kissing him deeply as he moved his hand down Reid's body.

The young man felt the graze of the back of Aaron's fingers down his body before they stopped at Spencer's groin. Aaron pulled back from the kiss and looked at his soon-to-be-lover, smiling.

"Maybe you should give me a lesson. Show me what you want, hands-on? I want you to make love to me first," Aaron whispered as he kissed across Spencer's jaw to his neck were he playfully nipped.

Spencer Reid swallowed…several times. He'd never topped before. The very few times he'd had sex with a man, he'd bottomed and enjoyed it. He wasn't even sure he knew _how_ to top. "I've, uh…I've never topped, Aaron."

Aaron moved off of Spencer, sitting up in the bed. The younger man worried perhaps he'd lost his shot at having a relationship with the man he desired. After all, Aaron was as much, if not more, of an alpha-male than Morgan.

It seemed as if it was a challenge Reid wasn't sure he could accept, but he had to try. "It's not that I don't want to try, trust me. I just don't want to hurt you," Spencer explained.

Reid was surprised by the chuckle from Aaron. "I know you won't hurt me, Spencer. That's why I want you to show me how to make love to you because I couldn't stand it if I ever hurt _you_. Just show me. It'll be a first for both of us."

With newfound confidence, Spencer kissed down Aaron's body as he lubed his fingers. He kissed and nipped at his lover's chest as he inserted a finger inside Aaron, adding a second and a third, slowly while he took his erection into his mouth. He took his time, making sure his soon-to-be lover was well stretched. When Aaron thrust back against his fingers with a soft moan, Spencer remembered how eager he'd been to have Randall Kane fuck him.

When Aaron pulled himself from Spencer's mouth, he kissed and licked his way up Aaron's body as he hurriedly ripped open the box of condoms, sending them sailing across the bed and carpeted floor. Spencer grabbed one and ripped the foil with his teeth. He fumbled with the first one, breaking it and hissing, "Fuck!"

Aaron gently pushed him away and quickly deduced the problem. "You've never used a condom before?"

Reid laughed. "I've had experience with a condom before, just not on _me_."

When Aaron smiled, Reid was surprised. "Okay, I can help with that part," Hotch offered, grabbing another condom from the bed and ripping it open. He gently slipped it down Reid's shaft and handed him the lube.

Spencer took it and gave a nervous smile. "Please tell me if I do anything to hurt you," he whispered. When Aaron nodded, he proceeded to breach the tight entrance with all the care and concern in his body. The very last thing he wanted to do was cause his lover any pain.

When he pushed into Aaron that afternoon, Reid's world turned upside down. It was heaven and it was hell. Heaven because he'd never felt anything of the sort in his life, and hell because he'd planned to give up Aaron to keep him from losing his job.

After he was deep inside the man, Spencer leaned down to kiss him gently as he pushed Aaron's knees into his chest. "You okay?" Reid asked quietly as he stilled inside the man.

Aaron pulled him down and stroked his cheek. "Give me just a minute to adjust. It doesn't hurt; it's just a pressure I need to get used to, okay? Don't worry, and please don't stop. I want this, babe." Reid leaned forward and kissed Aaron again before he began slowly moving inside him.

"Oh, fuck!" Aaron gasped.

"Tell me…tell me you're okay," Reid begged as he continued to move inside Aaron, pushing in harder with each thrust.

"God, yes!" Aaron exclaimed. The look on his face told Reid he was doing everything right, so he didn't stop. He continued to kiss him as he pulled Aaron's body up his lengthy thighs and pushed in harder.

The gasps and curse words were a surprise to Spencer because Aaron's demeanor on crime scenes was controlled and calculated. The man beneath him who was begging to be fucked harder wasn't anything Reid was expecting.

Sooner than Spencer would have liked, he released inside the condom which was inside the man he loved. Aaron hadn't come, so Reid pulled out, holding the condom, and sucked Aaron's cock into his ready mouth. After three bobs of his head, Spencer was rewarded with the taste of Aaron Hotchner he never thought he'd get. It was slightly bitter, but he knew he'd be able to correct the taste with diet, based on research he'd done on the subject in the past.

When he pulled off, Spencer saw the look of satisfaction he'd always wanted to see on the man's face. It was his doing, which made it twice as wonderful.

After Spencer rolled off the condom and enclosed it in a tissue, he lie back and looked at Aaron. "Are you okay?"

The giggle, which sounded exactly like Jack, surprised Spencer. "Let's see. _Am I okay?_ I was just fucked by my lover, who's never fucked another guy before. He came inside me, and then he gave me the best blow job I've ever had, which I won't ask about.

"I've been waiting for the two of us to have sex because I knew it would be great, but I had no idea how great it would be. So?" Aaron asked as he pulled Reid down to lie next to him.

"So…what?" Spencer asked, nervously.

"So, are we a couple?" Aaron pursued much to Spencer's surprise. It seemed the man was serious, and he seemed to be ignoring the plausible arguments regarding the younger agent leaving the BAU from earlier in the day.

"Um, well, if this is the formal acknowledgment you'd like to have regarding our exclusivity, I agree. I'll follow your lead regarding how vocal or _out_ you want to be regarding our relationship. You have a lot more at stake than me," Spencer responded at the surprising question Aaron had asked.

When Aaron settled on top of him again, Spencer accepted the passionate kiss from his boyfriend. He didn't think he'd been as happy in his life as when Aaron Hotchner kissed him soundly. Reid was looking forward to the relationship the couple would have going forward. It was a new challenge, but he wasn't one to run away from a challenge.

…

 _E/N: So? We got a little more than a kiss! I'm posting a one-shot tonight or tomorrow. I hope you'll check it out._

 **Finding Happy**

 _ **Summary:**_ Derek Morgan noticed something was different in the group dynamic. He decided to speak with JJ, who then decided to speak with Garcia. Blake noticed something was going on as well and spoke with Reid and Hotch. Rossi decided to get the group together get to bottom of it all. [Slash. One-shot.]

 _Thanks for reading!_


	15. Chapter 15

_[A/N: Hello! Thank you to everyone reading. I'm not sure what's happen that no one is leaving any reviews, but if you'd like to, I'd be very happy to hear from you. I don't own Criminal Minds. I borrow.]_

…

Chapter 15.

As Hotch turned on the lights in his office on his first day back from his suspension, he saw a cookie tin in the middle of his desk. The colorful nature of the packaging left no mystery regarding its giver…Penelope Garcia.

He smiled as he opened the note. " _Thank you for believing me when you had a lot of reasons not to regarding Morgan. I'll babysit for you anytime you want to take your 'special someone' out on the town. No expiration date."_

"Shoulda guessed," Hotch remarked to himself as he opened the lid, seeing his favorite chocolate brownie cookies, along with regular chocolate chips which were Jack's favorites. He glanced up to see the lights go on in the bullpen, and when he saw it was Reid, he smiled.

He walked from his office to the catwalk above the bullpen. "Grab two coffees and come up for cookies. Garcia's been at it again," he announced, seeing his favorite grin from Spencer. It made his heart skip a beat.

He went back to his office and hung his jacket on the hanger to the left of his desk. He removed his weapon, gently placing it on the credenza behind him, and he turned to his computer. There was a seal on it that informed him Internal Affairs had possession of it during his time away from the office, and he knew in that moment, he wanted to get as far away from Erin Strauss as he could.

He picked up his phone and called the Director's office. When the receptionist answered, he gave his identification information and requested time on the Director's calendar as soon as possible. When she told him she could block an hour for him from three to four, he jumped at it.

As he hung up, Reid walked into his office and set down a cup of black coffee for Aaron. Reid had a bag in his hand which he placed on the desk in front of him.

"Cookie?" Aaron offered.

Spencer smiled. "I have a fairy godmother who left me chocolate fudge and red velvet cupcakes with the initials, ' _S', 'A', and 'J'._ Who do you suppose they're for?" he asked as he reached into the tin and took a chocolate cookie.

"I'd say they're for the three of us tonight after dinner. I have a meeting with the Director from three to four. If I'm not out by five…" Hotch began.

Reid held up his hand. "I'll pick up Jack and take him to your place."

As Reid reached for another cookie, Hotch grabbed his hand. "You'll take him home…the home we're going to make for him together, Spence. You don't have to move in yet because the redundancy would be a pain in the ass, but in sixty days, I close on a house Jack and I picked out while I was on leave. He wants you there as much as I do, babe. We can talk about it later, but _home_ is wherever _you and Jack_ are. I believe you said something of the short to Jack," Hotch finished.

Before Spencer could respond, there was a knock on the door. Hotch let go of Reid's hand and stated, "Come in."

When the door opened, both men were surprised to see Morgan with Nicky in his arms. Penelope was behind him with a glowing smile. "I see my girl made cookies and I didn't get any," Morgan stated as he turned to look at Garcia.

She giggled. "You've had enough cookies to last you a lifetime. Give me Nicky so I can change him. We'll be in my lady cave if you need us," she cooed softly at the boy as she took him and the diaper bag from Morgan, who grabbed her chin before he turned over the baby and kissed her on the forehead.

Hotch and Reid could tell she was shocked due to the sudden gasp of air, but the smile on her face was incredible. She took the baby and left, closing the door behind her. "Cookie," Hotch offered as Morgan took the seat next to Reid.

Morgan grabbed one and smiled as he bit into it. He slowly chewed and after he swallowed, he looked at Hotch with a serious face. "Here's the deal. Garcia…Penelope and me, well, we're sort of workin' through some things. She's been there for me through all of this shit, and I'm hoping…I mean, I'm not married since Magret wasn't legally my wife in the first place. My baby girl doesn't see things are changing between us, but they are, Hotch. I know it's against Bureau…" Morgan began.

Hotch held up his hand for the man to stop speaking. "Your _friendship_ with Garcia is your business. You owe no explanation to me or the Bureau. There are protocols regarding workplace relationships, but they follow the chain of command more so than fraternization. You're not in Garcia's chain of command. She answers to me directly, not you. She's in a support position, Morgan. It's not a conflict."

After the point was clear, Morgan grinned broadly at Hotch and nodded. "Well, okay. So, I'm supposed to be off for another two weeks, and I'm bored out of my mind. JJ mentioned something about cold cases the unit was working through. Give me ten to take home with me. Nick still sleeps a lot," Morgan requested.

Hotch stood from the desk as he pointed to the boxes on his couch. "Take as many as you'd like. I do believe our Tech Analyst will be able to assist you with any information searches you deem necessary.

"I predict the team will be on another stand-down, and I'm not sure how long it will last," Hotch confessed.

"Why!?" both men snapped in unison.

"I have a meeting with the Director this afternoon. I'm asking for a transfer to White Collar so I can be at home with Jack and be there for my partner. Only one of us needs to work in a high pressure job. I've had my time, and I'm done.

"I'm not sure who your new Unit Chief will be, but I'll offer a recommendation. I hope the Director chooses wisely. I'll do what I can," Hotch explained as the three heard more noise in the bullpen.

"I need to get to my desk. I've owe you a report regarding the last case. Will Section Chief Strauss be _required_ to submit a report as well?" Reid asked with a stern look on his face Hotch recognized.

"I'll mention it to the Director. She was a member of the on-site team, and a report is required of all agents on scene. I'm sure he'll agree," Hotch responded. If he had to hold a gun to her head, he'd make damn sure she filled out a report.

"Could you make sure JJ comes to see me when she gets in?" Hotch asked. Both men nodded as they left the office.

Hotch pulled up the casefile on his laptop and called the Chief of Police for the last case. He explained he was the Unit Chief for the BAU, and he was trying to close the file. He asked about the behavior of the team during the investigation, and when Chief Winston explained how Strauss had taken him aside and explained away the presence of Dr. Spencer Reid as a necessity to fill a quota at the Bureau. Hotch did everything he could to hold his tongue. He thanked the man for his honesty, and hung up, so angry he could have pulled out his hair. He was angrier than he'd been in a long time.

When JJ knocked on his door, he invited her inside. When she sat down across from him, she smiled. "I know Jack wasn't sick. How are you, Hotch?"

Hotch cleared his throat. "Yeah, about that…I need a favor," he began. He explained what he needed from her, and when she left his office, he tackled his inbox to kill time.

When there was a knock on his door at twelve-thirty, the door opened without waiting for his invitation. He looked up to see Spencer with a smile and a carry-out container. "Steak salad from _Maggianos_. What's wrong, Hotch?"

Hotch rose from the desk and walked over to close the door. He closed the blinds on his window and took Spencer into his arms. "Thank you for bringing me lunch. I've been busy and didn't even think about it. Who'd you go with?" he asked with a smile.

"Morgan hung around for a while. He and Garcia invited me and JJ to go with them and Nicky. Rossi and Prentiss were both out of the office. What did you assign to them?" Spencer asked as he kissed Aaron on the neck.

The Unit Chief pulled away and smiled. "Nothing, baby. I think they just wanted some time alone. They're probably at Rossi's house sharing an antipasti platter. I'm sure they'll show up eventually. How was lunch with Morgan, Garcia, and Nicky?" Aaron asked as he sat down next to Spencer in the chair and ate the salad his lover had brought him while he listened to the tale of two inexperienced people trying to deal with a crying infant while having an adult lunch.

Eventually, JJ and Garcia took the crying baby out of the restaurant because the other guests were scowling. "That part pissed me off. He's a baby. Maybe he didn't like the music. I wasn't so keen on it myself, if the truth be told. Not everyone likes to hear an accordion while they're eating lunch, after all," Spencer complained.

Aaron laughed and counted himself blessed. Spencer was a one of a kind, and he planned to hold onto him tightly. As Morgan's mother, Fran, would say…Spencer was a keeper.

…

 _[E/N: Thanks again for reading. I also posted a one-shot last night, "Define Happy." It's Hotch/Reid-centric. I hope you'll check it out and let me know what you think. Kisses, ML]_


	16. Chapter 16

_[A/N: Thank you for reading. I do so appreciate it. I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow.]_

…

Chapter 16.

Nervous didn't begin to describe how Hotch felt as he waited outside the Director's office. The meeting had been pushed back to five because the Director had an emergency meeting with Homeland Security. Of course, Hotch graciously agreed to reschedule. He called Reid's desk, and peaked out his blinds to see his lover answer.

"Reid."

"Babe, can I get you to pick up Jack and take him home? My meeting with the Director's been pushed to five, and I really want to have it today. I'll bring home pizza from _Rissoli's_ ," Aaron baited. It was Reid's favorite.

The giggle was enough to take him back to the window to look out to see his lover running his fingers through his hair, glancing around at his team mates to see none of them paying attention. "We can't live on pizza. I'll make something. Don't worry about dinner.

"Make sure you're doing what's right for you, Aaron. Take _us_ out of the equation. We're going to be fine," Reid whispered over the phone.

Hotch's heart pounded in his chest. Spencer Reid was everything he never knew he wanted. "I'm doing the best thing for _us_. I love you, Dr. Reid." After the sentiment was whispered to him in kind, Aaron hung up and began getting himself together. He had an extra hour, and he was lining up his ammunition. He was going to fire the first shot over the Strauss's bough.

…

"He'll see you now," the Director's assistant stated. No one had come or gone through the door, but Aaron knew there was a back exit from the inner sanctum in the event dignitaries didn't want to be seen leaving. It was just like every other government agency. Secrets were plentiful. Covert operations…black ops…dirty deals. All the same.

After being invited in from Aaron's harsh knock, the Unit Chief entered and stood at the Director's desk. "Sir," he greeted, hoping he was showing the respect due the office.

"Chief Hotchner. I can't say I'm surprised. Take a seat," the Director ordered.

Hotch did as instructed, gathering his thoughts. He had several battles to fight, but he had to wait for the Director to set the stage for the way the meeting would go.

"Sir, I'm sorry to extend your day, but I have several issues I don't believe can wait. The first of which regards my suspension. I believe Section Chief Erin Strauss has a personal vendetta against me and ordered my suspension and subsequent investigation based on contrived evidence on her part. I was cleared by Internal Affairs of any wrongdoing regarding Agent Morgan's situation.

"The man was kidnapped, and I believed for the Bureau's sake, it was best to keep it out of the media so as not to show vulnerabilities. If local authorities had been involved, it would have made the news and drawn attention to a situation best handled under the radar. If I was wrong, then it was my mistake, not my teams'," Hotch explained.

He saw the Director push a button on his phone, and he waited for agents to bust in. When they didn't, he looked at the Director. "Should I continue?" he asked. When the man nodded, Hotch presented a well-organized case regarding all of the problems with Strauss' handling of matters and his reasoning for taking the steps the Unit had taken. The two men talked for hours, and when they were finished, they shook hands. Agreements had been reached, and some truths had been admitted, but when Aaron Hotchner walked from that office, he had a broad smile on his face.

##

"Can I be black?" Jack asked Reid as the two sat out on the balcony of the Hotchners' apartment waiting for Aaron to come home.

Reid had ordered a pizza because he and Jack were hungry and Hotch hadn't showed. The good doctor could tell the boy was worried, so he'd produced a checker's game on his tablet, vowing to buy a board to play with Jack because he remembered how much he loved playing board games as a boy, but they were making the best of a bad situation.

"Sure. Any reason why?" Reid asked.

"Coz black seems to win," the boy answered, making Reid laugh. Teaching a six-year old to play checkers was like nothing he'd ever undertaken, but he was up for the challenge. It was Hotch's son, after all, and Reid hoped he'd be in the boy's life for a very long time.

It was then Reid had an idea. "Hey, Jack, how about we make our own board. This one isn't real. A real board is much better. We need crayons, paper, and scissors," he suggested to the boy.

When Jack bolted to his bedroom, Spencer followed him. "Can we really make a board?" the boy asked.

"Yeah. It'll be a temporary board. I'm going to buy us a chess and checkers set tomorrow. Every young man needs to learn to play chess. It's a part of growing up. I learned from an old friend, and I'll teach you all my best moves," Reid promised as he heard a key in the lock.

"That's Daddy!" Jack exclaimed as he ran to the door. Reid heard Hotch drop his briefcase and take off his shoes.

"Give me a minute, Buddy." That was Hotch securing his weapon in the gun safe in the front hall. Reid's was already inside.

"Did you guys eat without me?" he heard _Aaron_ ask. The change in his voice was amazing.

"We had to, Daddy. We was hungry," Jack explained. Spencer heard them go into the kitchen and smiled when he heard Aaron laugh.

"You got me meat lovers? Thank you. What have you been doing while I was at work?" Reid heard Aaron ask.

"We're playing checkers. We was making a board and using coins for tokens," Jack explained.

Reid walked into the kitchen and smiled at the man he loved. "We need a real board because the stupid tablet game doesn't teach anything. I hope you'll let me teach him how to play chess," Reid asked.

He was nervous about the smile on Hotch's face. It was tentative, and Reid didn't know what it meant. He didn't know what happened with the Director, and he was nervous. Their future was riding on the outcome of that meeting, after all.

…

"Fuck, Aaron," Reid gasped as his lover rolled off of him. It was the first time Aaron had made love to him, and it was love, pure and simple.

 _After Jack was sound asleep, the two men took a shower, agreeing to talk about the events of the day later. Of course, after the shower wherein they both got very worked up, stroking, kissing, licking, sucking. When it was too unbearable, Aaron had led Spencer out of the shower. They ended up on the bed where Aaron returned the favor to his lover with a slow, gentle fuck._

 _Reid had begged him to hit it harder, but Aaron said they'd get to it later…after they'd settled into a routine. Aaron wanted gentle lovemaking because he needed to feel he had someone who loved him regardless of how fucked up he was, and Spencer Reid wanted to be that someone, so he was. It was amazing._

"I know, baby, that was incredible. You want something?" Aaron asked as he hopped up from the bed and went to the bathroom. After the disposal of the condom and quick clean-up, he went to the bed and cleaned up his lover.

After handing Spencer a pair of his boxers and unlocking the bedroom door, Aaron climbed into bed with his man and pulled him to rest his head on his chest. "So, I went to the Director today," Aaron began.

Spencer looked up and pulled away. "God, what did you say?"

Aaron laughed, pulling Spencer down for a kiss. "I said a lot. I didn't go into the meeting to point a finger at Strauss, but after what happened in Bristol, I was pissed. I told him everything, and we called the Police Chief down there. The Director's not happy, but that's not the most important thing to know.

"Beginning in September, I'll be the Section Chief over the White Collar Units. Most of my work will be done right here at home. I'll be able to take Jack to school and pick him up, just like we hoped. Hell, it's a promotion for me," Aaron explained, not surprised when he received a kiss on his neck from Spencer.

"I'm going to hate it when you leave us. Who's going to take over?"

When Aaron laughed, he saw Spencer biting his lip. "For now, Rossi. He's going to hate it. Eventually, I think it'll be Morgan, but that's not going to happen until Strauss is out of the way. The dynamic won't change that much for you, babe. The team respects you, and the Director requested a meeting with Strauss regarding the way she handled Blue Ridge. He reviewed my reports from the officers in Bristol. He's not happy.

Reid sat up, looking down at Hotch. "You're not leaving the Bureau?"

"No, Spencer, I'm not. I'll just be working in a different discipline. I'll be one floor up from you. Being a Section Chief means I'm home every night for Jack. I'll be here for you as well…actually, I'll be at our _new house_. Time to fish or cut bait, Spence.

Reid contemplated the words for a moment before he smiled. "Okay, Aaron. I'll move in. We'll work it out between us. I love you. The three of us as a family? I can't think of anything better in my life."

There were arguments to be had and decisions to be made, and before the two men fell asleep, it was agreed. SSA Aaron Hotchner and SSA Dr. Spencer Reid were a couple and they were going to move in together, along with Hotchner's son, Jack. It was a close to perfection as they ever thought they'd get. If anyone objected…they could go to hell.

…

 _[Thank you for reading. I appreciate it. I won't be posting tomorrow night because I'm going to be away, but I'll catch you on Monday. Maybe a few more of you will be less shy? Kisses, ML]_


	17. Chapter 17

_[A/N: Happy Monday. Thank you for reading and for some reviews! I'm glad to know you're interested. I don't own Criminal Minds. No infringement on my part. Enjoy!]_

…

Chapter 17.

Aaron Hotchner walked into the Director's office a week before he was supposed to take over his post as Section Chief over the White Collar Crime Group. It was late August and he was looking forward to his new job, though he would miss the BAU.

At Strauss' insistence, he'd stepped down as Unit Chief but remained in the Unit and offered any assistance requested…from the comfort of his _home_.

Strauss had told him his presence in the office would confuse the staff, so at her orders, he worked from home. The team still contacted him, but he missed the camaraderie they had in the office when they were all together during the day.

Rossi had stepped up as Acting Unit Chief, much against his better judgment, but Aaron loved the freedom afforded him with the heavy yoke of responsibilities taken from his shoulders.

 _Jack, Spencer, and he were having a great, late summer. They'd gone to Disney World, something Hotch and Haley had always wanted to do but Hotch had never made the time._

 _They had a ball, the three of them, and when they returned, they all moved into the new, white brick house. Life was, once again, full of possibilities._

 _The only thing Hotch kept to himself was the enormous feeling of guilt that had settled on him while they were in Orlando. Watching Spencer and Jack riding rides and enjoying the Magic Kingdom made him mindful of how much Haley would have enjoyed it if he'd taken the same time for them._

 _Of course, as she'd told him on more than one occasion, he'd put the job before the family. His guilt wouldn't bring her back, but he vowed he'd never allow himself to put his job before the needs of Jack or Spencer. Unfortunately, that revelation didn't release him from the feelings of failure. That would take a lot of time to get over._

When the outer door opened, Hotch wasn't exactly happy to see Erin Strauss enter the room. She didn't appear to be very happy to see him either.

"Agent Hotchner, I wasn't aware you were in the office. I thought you were still on vacation with your son or working from home," she stated with tight lips.

Hotch wanted to laugh because he could see how it _pained_ her to have to make polite conversation with him. If Reid was there, he'd have analyzed her body language for hours. She was tense suddenly…as if she was afraid something was going to be revealed she wasn't prepared to admit.

Jess and Chelsea had taken Jack to Colonial Williamsburg for a long weekend. He and Reid were looking forward to going to dinner at Rossi's on Saturday night. The team didn't know (officially) Hotch and Reid were together, but after the transfer for Hotch, they planned to come clean.

"I was, but the Director called me and asked if I could come in for a meeting today," he stated, withholding the smirk. Hotch didn't take the time to gloat…well, much. He fired off a text to Reid (work personae respected), who was one-floor down.

 _You'll never guess who's sitting across from me with murder in her eyes… BBQ for dinner? ILY…A_

He could only imagine what Strauss was thinking. He placed his phone in his breast pocket, ensuring the ringer was off because it was inevitable Spencer would respond, but Aaron wanted to maintain his focus. Clearly, the Director had something in mind, having the two of them sitting there together.

The door to the Director's office opened, and the Deputy Director stepped out. "Agent Hotchner, Chief Strauss, please come inside."

The two stood and glanced at each other, neither knowing what the outcome would be. Hotch extended his hand for her to enter first, and after he was inside, the Deputy Director closed the door.

"Please, take a seat," the Director invited. The four of them sat down at a conference table in the corner of the large office. Hotch had no reason to be worried, but he could see Erin Strauss was concerned. He couldn't wait to find out why.

##

Reid was sitting at his desk reviewing the same cold-case file he and Hotch had discussed _ad nauseum_. It had stuck with the two of them, but they'd made a pact not to discuss work when Jack was with them. How Spencer loved that boy.

" _Come on! It's Dumbo!" Jack shouted as the three of them walked up to the ride at Disney World. They were on day one at the Magic Kingdom. They were there for three days, and then they were headed to Universal for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter for two days, and then they were going to Las Vegas to see Spencer's mom, Dianna._

" _We'll get there, Jack. Slow down. Your dad's not as young as he used to be," Spencer teased as the two youngers ran to get in line at the ride. When Aaron skirted in behind Spencer, he wrapped his arm around Spencer's waist and pulled the younger man close, leaning to whisper. "I'll show you who's not as young as he used to be," Aaron teased. Later that night, he did…twice._

When his cellphone vibrated on his desk, he picked it up to see a message from Aaron.

 _You'll never guess who's sitting across from me with murder in her eyes… BBQ for dinner? ILY…A_

Reid looked around, seeing everyone he knew was accounted for, including Morgan and Garcia, though there seemed to be some sort of disconnect between the two of them. As he looked at Prentiss, he could see something wasn't right with her, and Rossi hadn't stuck his head outside his office all morning.

 _Things are definitely off down here. I have no idea who's upstairs with you, but I hope things go well. BBQ sounds good. Where? ILY2. S_

He sent the message and walked over to Prentiss' desk. "Emily, are you okay? You've been quiet," Reid stated as he leaned on the corner of her desk.

"Excuse me," she stated calmly as she grabbed the trash can from under her desk, turning her back to Reid and hurling like there was no tomorrow.

" _Emily!_ " he shrieked in surprise.

Suddenly, Rossi was standing next to them with a bottle of water. "Damn. Emily, here," Rossi said as he offered her the water and his handkerchief.

He looked at Reid and frowned. "Can you help me get her to my office? She's not feeling well. I told her to stay home, but she refused."

Reid watched Emily take a swig of water, gargle, and spit it in the trash can. "You made me eat an egg. It told you it didn't smell good."

Of course, that comment puzzled Reid. In what world would Rossi order Emily to eat something that was potentially tainted, and why on earth would she comply? She was definitely her own woman, never giving anyone the upper hand or so he believed, so Reid was lost regarding the logic behind the statements.

"Spencer?" Rossi prompted. The two of them helped Emily up the stairs and down the catwalk to Rossi's office. They placed her on the couch, and Reid could tell she was pissed.

She looked at him with venom in her eyes. " _OUT_!"

Without waiting for any further direction, Reid left the area and closed the door, hurrying away as quickly as possible. When he settled at his desk again, he saw Morgan with a smirk. "What was that about?"

"I have no damn idea. One minute, she and I were chatting calmly, and the next thing I knew, she was regurgitating in a trash can. Rossi was there in an instant with water, and then he asked me to help him carry her to his office. When we got there, she was _piiisssed._ I can't begin to imagine the conversation they're having in there right now," Reid explained quietly.

When Morgan's cell went off, Reid saw him smile brightly. "Wanna go to lunch with me and Garcia?"

Reid looked around, seeing Hotch hadn't returned. "Um, sure. Where?" he asked.

"Come on, Kid." Reid followed him to the break room where Morgan grabbed plates, flatwear, and napkins.

He thought they were going to sit down, but Morgan grabbed his arm and led him down the hall to Garcia's lady cave. Morgan knocked and opened the door. "Baby girl, I brought Reid, just like you asked. So, tonight? We can Watch ' _Princess Bride'_ if you want," Morgan asked.

When Garcia moved her chair, Reid saw Nicky Morgan in a high chair next to her. She was feeding him something, and the boy seemed to be enjoying it. "Hey Nicky," Reid whispered as he took the little boy's hand. There was a tiny _Cubs_ cap on his head, which made Reid laugh.

He turned to Morgan. "Already?"

"Dude, you don't wait to indoctrinate your babies to the right way of thinkin'. Mama, tell me how to heat it up, and I haven't forgotten you didn't answer me," Morgan told her as he opened the small fridge in Garcia's office and pulled out a container.

She looked at Reid as she fed Nicky. "You've been unavailable for our usual discussions, Baby Genius…well, I'll have to upgrade you because this is the true Baby Genius," she gushed as she turned to Nicky.

Reid laughed. "I've called you three times to go out for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, respectively. You've given me lame excuses every time."

"I'm hungry," they both heard from the corner.

Neither paid attention. "I'm sorry, but Nicky's been going through his vaccinations, and they're awful. He's also teething, which makes him a little grumpy Gus, doesn't it my true love. He needs his Auntie Pen. Tell me, how's Jack?" Garcia asked with a cocked eyebrow.

"He'll be ready to join a swim club next summer. He's learned how to do several strokes, showing himself to be quite proficient in the water. If he gets his father's height, and he continues to be as dedicated to the sport as he has an interest at the moment, I can see Jack challenging that Olympic swimmer with an affinity for cannabis. When I went to Florida with them to help care for Jack, we went to ' _Diagon Alley'_ at _Universal Studios_. It was absolutely brilliant," Reid tried in his best British accent. Garcia giggled. Nicky gurgled. Morgan…complained.

"Seriously? I'm fucking starving."

Suddenly, Garcia pulled out a rubberband gun and shot it at Morgan's forehead. He yelped a little at the contact, giving Reid a reason to giggle. "I told you not to curse in front of the prodigal," Garcia ordered.

Reid couldn't help but laugh at the two of them. Clearly, there was love, but there was conflict. When he became Madam Cleo was something Reid didn't know, but as a profiler…well, he had insights.

Garcia turned to Morgan and gave him instructions regarding how long to heat the food. He then left the room to go to the kitchen. "What's going on with the two of you?" Reid asked Garcia as he watched her continue to feed Nicky.

"My Chocolate Adonis thought I'd just fall at his feet after that witch-with-a-'b' was taken into custody. He's trying to learn how to care for Nicky on his own, but with his mother coming and going, he needs someone to fill the void during her absences. I help with Nicky, only. I refuse to be that easy when it comes to any sort of relationship Morgan thinks is inevitable. I wasn't good enough as anything other than his friend before, and I'd never turn my back on him as a friend now, but I'm not so desperate to be with him I'll just toss my hands in the air and fall on my knees in gratitude," she explained.

Before Reid could ask any more questions, Morgan returned with a baking dish in his potholder-covered hands. Garcia had the baby on the small couch in her office to change his diaper. Reid turned to Morgan. "Do you do anything to take care of your own son?"

When Morgan smacked the back of Reid's head, it pissed him off. "Really? Don't hit me. Even my mother doesn't hit me in the back of the head."

"Dude, shut the fuck up. I take care of my baby boy every night. We'll talk about this another time. In the meantime, shut up and eat," Morgan ordered as he dished up something with tortillas, cheese, refried beans, and chicken. There was a red sauce, and as Reid leaned forward and sniffed, he noticed it smelled pretty good.

Reid took a bite and smiled when the tastes hit his palate in beautiful taste-bud-pleasing harmony. It was delicious. "This is amazing. Penelope, did you make this?" he asked as he saw Garcia had finished dressing Nicky.

"I did. I've become quite the accomplished cook, Jr. G-man. I've even been making baby food for Nicky. It's healthy and he loves it. If you ever have little ones of your own, I'd be happy to share recipes," Garcia told Reid with a wink.

Reid laughed. The chances of having a baby of his own? Not likely. Actually, zero, if he really thought about it. He was helping Aaron with Jack, and that was enough for him. He wasn't parent material, what with his dicey DNA. He'd never wish his mother's problems on a child. Thus far, he'd been fortunate to dodge the genetic bullet, himself. He'd never want that worry over a child of his own.

He ate the casserole Garcia had made, and after some small-talk between the three of them after Nicky was returned to the Bureau daycare, Spencer walked out of Garcia's kingdom with a helping of casserole for that night…or for Hotch if he ever showed up in the BAU.

He walked to the break room and smelled Hotch's new-found, favorite coffee…vanilla caramel. Reid laughed when he smelled it.

He heated the plate Garcia had given him to take home, and he went to Hotch's door, knocking quietly. "Come in," he heard.

Reid opened the door and smiled. "Do you have a minute?"

Hotch chuckled. "Dr. Reid, I always have a minute for you."

Reid closed the door and walked toward his desk. He placed the warm plate in front of Hotch and offered the flatware. He saw Hotch stand and take off his jacket, hanging it on the rack in the corner.

When Hotch took off the Glock at his waist and placed it on the credenza behind his desk, he turned to Reid and smiled. "How's your day?"

Reid knew it was a stalling tactic because they'd been together as a couple for a few months. Things had moved fast, but when there was years of history behind the attraction, it wasn't _that_ fast.

…

 _[E/N: Thanks again for reading. Kisses, ML]_


	18. Chapter 18

_[A/N: Sorry I didn't post last night. I'm in technology hell right now, so I'll be slowing my posts for the time being. It won't be months, I promise. Thank you for reading and for reviewing. I truly appreciate your support. I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow.]_

…

Chapter 18.

"I've reviewed the files from the Blue Ridge case, along with the files and complaints Chief Strauss has brought to my attention. I've also had an impartial, blind panel of your peers review the files, including the files from the Reaper case. No names were used. It was similar to a shadow jury, if you will. The outcome wasn't really surprising when the group heard every detail in context," the Director explained.

The Deputy Director stood and switched on the television in the Director's office. He walked back to a computer and typed in something. When the case file for Blue Ridge appeared on the screen, Hotch turned to see the worry on Strauss' face.

" _My darlings, I've found something ugly. It seems these young men were only planning to set up camp for a group of Boy Scouts who were supposed to show up later in the week."_ It was Garcia's voice, and she sounded worried.

" _Garcia, what was ugly about it? What did you find?"_ Hotch heard the voice, and he knew the voice very well. It was the love of his life.

As they continued to listen to the audio, Hotch held the laugh. Reid was being… _Reid._ The young man had multiple hypotheses to offer regarding any situation, but when he drilled down on an issue, he struck oil.

"Doctor Reid was all over the boards on this investigation. He didn't offer anything of…" Strauss began.

Hotch stood and headed for the door. "Agent Hotchner, where are you going?" the Director asked as he stopped the audio feed.

"I was going to get Doctor Reid. If she's going to question his ability to do his job, I believe we owe it to him to defend himself, don't we? Dr. Reid isn't conventional to say the least, but the case notes prove Chief Strauss consulted with Dr. Reid and then sent him away so she could provide _his_ analysis as her own. She had no idea how to handle the case because she has no field experience, and she needed to assert herself to the LEOs on scene because I was suspended…by her.

"Chief Strauss took advantage of a member of my team in order to give the appearance she was in control of the investigation. She clearly wasn't. I believe the case notes and the outcome of the case shows my team can operate as a highly skilled unit, even with someone of authority undermining their credibility," Hotch argued.

Chief Strauss rose from her chair and snapped, "I don't have to answer to Agent Hotchner. I'm the Section Chief over his team, and it's my discretion to use the team as I see fit. I used the team at the best of their abilities. Dr. Reid wasn't cooperative because he was upset about something going on in his personal life.

"I deduced his level of participation, and I used it for the good of the investigation. He was in no shape, mentally and emotionally, to interact with the locals so I did his talking for him.

"Dr. Reid is a loaded gun. Just because he has multiple degrees and special abilities does not mean he can operate in the world in which the FBI exists. Agent Hotchner covers for Dr. Reid. The young man can't function on his own without Agent Hotchner there to keep him in check. That makes Dr. Reid a liability. He should be released, and Agent Hotchner should be brought up on charges for keeping Dr. Reid on staff for all these years. This was the first time I was in the field with the agents. I wasn't impressed," Strauss explained.

Hotch stood at the door and took a deep breathe. "I'll gladly take responsibility for Dr. Reid. I'll take responsibility for SSAs Rossi, Prentiss, Morgan, Jareau, and Ms. Garcia. I'll take responsibility for everyone assigned to my Unit. I trust my team with my life and the life of my son," Hotch stated firmly, perhaps a bit louder than intended.

They both heard a throat clear. "Chief Strauss, did you tell the Chief of Police of Bristol, Virginia, that Dr. Reid was a _'special case you have to tolerate'?_ We have a transcript from the follow-up interviews. Did you intentionally mislead the local authorities to believe Dr. Reid wasn't a productive member of the BAU, or that perhaps he was mentally challenged and forced on the BAU under a government quota?"

Aaron looked at the woman and saw her swallow. "I did _not_. Dr. Reid _is_ a special case. He doesn't process information in the same way as _normal_ people."

Listening to her justifying her bigotry against someone she couldn't understand had him raging, but Hotch took a deep breath. Losing his shit with the Director and Deputy wouldn't make the situation better. Cooler heads had to prevail. "Dr. Spencer Reid is more intelligent than all of the minds in this room. His IQ is 187, and he has three doctoral degrees, and numerous bachelor degrees. He has no agenda beyond finding the person guilty of committing the crime in which we're sent out to assist.

"Chief Strauss appears to be intimidated by Dr. Reid. She can't figure him out, so she can't control him. At the Blue Ridge crime scene, she undermined his observations and his credibility. She interviewed him and when she had his assessment, she took that information to the team and to local authorities, and she put them forth as her own theories," Hotch insisted, once again hoping he was making a point without allowing the rage he felt in his entire body to bleed into his defense.

Aaron Hotchner watched as the Director and his next-in-command looked at Erin Strauss. Hotch wasn't about to back down. He loved Reid, and he had the utmost respect for the man as a profiler and an agent. The team, as a collective, was a pseudo-family in its own way, and he'd always have the back of every member, even if it meant losing his job or his own life. That feeling was exponentially more profound when it came to Dr. Reid.

"Give us a moment," the Director asked as he opened the door for Hotch and Strauss to wait in the outer office. Hotch looked at Strauss and saw a lot of hatred on her face.

He couldn't help himself. "Erin, exactly what has you pissed off about my team? You're nearly homicidal when it comes to us."

She turned to him and snapped, "Don't you profile me. I'm perfectly within my right to question Spencer Reid and Emily Prentiss. They're both problems, and it's my job to look for problems, Agent Hotchner. It's not my fault you can't control you team."

Hotch laughed. "I don't have to _control_ my team because we all contribute to the whole. No one on the team is more important than anyone else. We work together as a cohesive unit. That's why we're able to catch the bad guys, Chief Strauss.

"You've never been willing to sit in one meeting with us and observe the way in which we interact. That's your biggest weakness. You've never attempted to build a relationship with my team," Hotch stated.

From both of their positions in the room, neither saw the Deputy Director opened the door. "You have no idea about the politics surrounding this organization. It's not my _job_ to build a relationship with your people. It's _your_ job to assist in solving the cases to which you're assigned. All I care about are the numbers, Aaron. When the Director leaves, I'll be promoted over the DD, and you'll be in White Collar, wasting away until your mandatory retirement. At your age, it's a shame your career has hit a dead end."

When they both heard a laugh, Hotchner turned to see Deputy Director John Carpenter standing there looking quite smug. Strauss appeared to be dumb struck. "Well, _that_ makes this a lot easier. Come in, please, won't you both?"

The rest of the meeting hadn't gone well at all. The outcome, however, was incredible. When Hotch walked the stairs to the area wherein the BAU was housed, he couldn't withhold the smile. He made himself a cup of coffee and thought how nice it would be to be able to have coffee with Reid every morning when the team was in town. He'd miss the travel, but he'd make himself available if needed, once he'd lined up someone to take Jess's place as secondary caregiver. He was looking forward to the new developments in his life.

He heard the tentative seven-beat, shave-and-a-haircut knock and smiled. "Come in," he called.

Reid opened the door and entered with something in his hands. "Do you have a minute?"

Hotch chuckled to himself with the news he had to deliver. "Dr. Reid, I always have a minute for you."

Reid closed the door and walked into the office, placing a plate on the desk in front of him. It smelled incredible, and Hotch didn't hesitate to take the flatware. He stood to remove his jacket, hanging it on the hall tree that had been his father's in his law practice. It was about the only thing he wanted after his father died.

He removed his gun and holster from his waist, placing them on the credenza to buy time. He wanted to shout from the rooftops how great his life was going to be, but things were still in the planning stages. He'd have to hold back somewhat, except with his lover. He could trust Spencer with the details, but at the office wasn't the place to discuss the new turn their lives would take. He turned to his love and smiled. "How's your day going?"

He watched the young man's face, seeing it full of concern. "It's fine. How was your meeting?"

Hotch laughed as he flipped his tie over his shoulder and dug into incredible smelling food in front of him. After he swallowed, he looked at Reid, hoping to assuage his apprehension. "Ah, now, Dr. Reid, don't look so worried. It's nothing bad. I'd prefer we discuss it tonight over a bottle of that Bordeaux you found when we went out to the winery trail. What's up with the team?" Hotch asked as he continued to eat.

"Something's wrong with Emily. She threw up. Rossi had me help him get her into his office, and then she threw me out. I'm not sure what's going on," Reid explained.

It was then Hotch remembered something Strauss had said about Emily behaving in an unprofessional manner. He knew it to be a lie, and based on the outcome of the meeting, it seemed the Director and Deputy Director knew as well, but Hotch wanted to know why she was throwing Emily under the bus after Spencer.

He suspected it had something to do with the fact she'd forced the female agent to spy on him early on in Emily's time with the BAU, but that was in the past. There was something new in the air, and Hotch needed to know what it was.

He finished his food and wiped his mouth, looking up to see Spencer watching him. "This was amazing. Who made it?" he asked.

"Garcia. She's an amazing cook and she's even making organic baby food for Nicky. I think she and Morgan are spending a lot of time together, though I don't believe they've zeroed in on what their roles will be together. It appears they're trying to create a family structure, but Garcia's hesitant because of Morgan's prior bad acts. However, she takes care of Nicky like he's her own, so that's an 'in' Morgan has with her. I'm not sure if he's figured out how to use it to his advantage, but I get the impression Morgan actually has romantic feelings for her. She's not happy about his attempts, though, and that's something I can't help him with," Reid admitted.

Hotch wiped his mouth and tossed the napkin in the trash. He gulped down his coffee and reached for an Altoid tin from his desk, offering one to Reid, who accepted with a smile. "I have a suspicion there's a lot more going on in the group than anyone's willing to admit, but we need to all come clean with each other if we're going to weather the storms coming our way. There's no room for secrets anymore," he explained.

He watched as his lover's head snapped up. "Aaron, what's wrong? What's happened? You said Strauss was in that meeting. Did she say something to screw up your promotion?"

Hotch stood from his desk and walked to the other side, taking Reid's hand and pulling him to the couch which was below the sightline of the windows. The blinds weren't closed, but Hotch knew nobody would bother them. After they were settled, looking at each other, he saw the concern still present in Reid's eyes, and it touched him.

He leaned forward and brushed his lips against Spencer's. It was a gentle kiss one shared with the one's true love, and Aaron _did_ love Spencer. It was meant to give reassurance. Things were going to be so great, and Aaron couldn't wait to tell him.

…

[E/N: thank you for reading.]


	19. Chapter 19

_[A/N: My lovelies! Thank you for your reviews! I'm overwhelmed by your support. Sorry I had to take a break, but I've been in Tech Hell for the last thirty-six hours. I'm assured things are worked out. Unfortunately, I'm not a savvy when it comes to anything computer related. I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow.]_

…

Chapter 19.

Hotch took a deep breath, having already analyzed the scenarios regarding the problems his promotion could cause with the team. Fortunately, the Director, Deputy, and he had worked it out. It was going to be… _brilliant!_ He remembered Spencer and Jack kept saying it when they were at Harry Potter Land _,_ as Hotch called it _._ He laughed at the two of them, and he embraced the family they were becoming. Part of that family meant explaining the rest of the situation to his lover.

"We'll discuss this in detail when we get home, but I'm not being promoted to Section Chief over White Collar. Strauss is taking a lateral. I'm being promoted to Section Chief over the BAU. Each of the units will answer to me, along with Garcia and Lynch. I know Morgan won't take the Unit Chief Job if Garcia is in his direct chain-of-command, so I'm moving her and Lynch out from under the Unit Chief as an IT group assigned to me as the Section Chief.

"There are a lot of things going on behind the scenes, but hopefully, this new organizational structure will allow us to stay together. I'll just be one floor away, and you'll have full access to my office. I hope you'll use it," Hotch teased as he kissed Reid again.

Their tongues collided and tangled together, and to Hotch, things were as they should be. He didn't have to leave the group he loved and regarded as a family. He'd just be involved in a different capacity. It was a better outcome than he'd ever hoped for. He'd still see Spencer every day when the team was in the office because he planned to be available if anyone needed him. Strauss wasn't available when things were happening with the BAU, but then again, not many liked her. She didn't really do anything to endear her to the team…

"Hey, what happened in Blue Ridge between Emily and Strauss?" Hotch asked, back to business.

"Nothing of which I'm aware. I mean, Strauss wasn't exactly speaking to me when the whole group was assembled, but Emily never said anything about any altercation, why?" Reid asked.

Hotch nodded. "Do you mind taking these things to the kitchen for me? I need to speak with Dave. After I finish, I'm going to go home. I'll pick up Jack from camp. I need to take him school shopping because his uniform pants are probably too short. Have you noticed the growth spurt?" Hotch asked Reid as the two rose from the couch.

"Yeah. He's going to need new shoes as well. He complained about his sneakers being too short this morning," Reid stated with that cute smile Aaron loved to see on his handsome face.

Hotch kissed him and held his body close before he opened the door of his office. "Thanks, Reid. If you'll bring me the file, I'll go over your notes and get back to you." Aaron looked out over the group and saw JJ sitting at Emily's desk.

"JJ, where's Prentiss," he asked.

"She's in Rossi's office. She wasn't feeling well, so he took her in there to lie down. Is there something I can do?" she offered with a smile. Hotch saw her notice Reid duck out behind him. He could also tell she didn't miss the plate and coffee cup the younger agent had in his hands.

"Actually, could you get Rossi to come see me? I don't want to call in case Emily's sleeping," Hotch responded. JJ nodded, and he returned to his office, taking a seat to wait.

Only a few minutes had lapsed before Rossi stuck his head in. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes, please come in and shut the door," Hotch invited.

Rossi smiled and did as requested. Once he was seated in the left chair opposite the desk, Aaron exhaled and gave him a smile.

"We've been doing this for a long time, Dave, and we both know we have history regarding things we've done over the years. I would never want my skeletons to come waltzing out of the closet. How about you, Dave? Is there something I should know about you and Strauss? She made an allegation in a meeting claiming Emily was guilty of misconduct on the Blue Ridge case, but she wouldn't follow up on it. Is there something I need to know?" Hotch explained.

He saw his old friend's face contort into anger. "When did…what's going on, Aaron? You and me? We don't keep secrets."

Hotch thought about it, and he knew his friend was right. "No, Dave, we don't. The Section Chief Job in White Collar has been filled with another candidate." He saw his friend's shock, and he waited for a question.

"Did Erin do this in retaliation? She and I were seeing each other, but not on a regular basis. We…we were just keeping each other from being lonely, Aaron. It wasn't serious to me, and it wasn't really on a regular basis.

"Unfortunately, it was serious to her, and when I told her I had become exclusive with someone else, she actually had me followed. She found out who I was seeing and she made threats but I ignored them. Is she coming forward with something problematic? I won't allow her to mess up my family." Hotch could see the answer he'd sought on his friend's face, and he was relieved.

"How far along is Emily?" he asked with a small smile.

He saw Rossi's face light up as he'd suspected it would. "You're too damn smart for my own good. She's eight weeks. I only found out recently. She and I have been together for about six months. A little longer than you and Reid," Rossi stated.

Aaron couldn't hide the smile on his face. "What gave us away?" he asked.

"Geez, Aaron. I profile people for a living. You two are _not_ good at covert operations. It's a good thing we don't work for the CIA or Homeland Security. That kid's been in love with you forever, and when you met that doctor in Miami, I thought you were going to shoot the guy on sight. Hey, this whole unit is lovesick. Poor Morgan doesn't know whether to shit of go blind because Garcia is leading him around by the short ones.

"I'm proud of her, actually. She's holding him to the standard he should want to be held. She loves Nicky, and she'll make sure he's taken care of, but she's going to make Morgan work for it. That shows she expects him to step up to the plate. I think he will. How about you?" Rossi finished.

Aaron sat for a moment, thinking about what Rossi was actually asking, versus the way it sounded. He knew he wasn't asking about Morgan's commitment to Garcia. He was asking about Hotch's commitment to Reid.

"We're living together, as I'm sure you've deduced. He still doesn't exactly trust _us_ just yet, but I think it's slowly sinking in. I plan to do right by him. How about you?" he tossed back with a smile.

"Ah, well, right now, the lady isn't agreeable to anything except ginger ale and saltines. She won't even spend the whole night at my house! I've stayed at her place overnight about three times. She values her privacy, and I'm not sure she's too happy about the invader in her body, but we're working through it," Rossi explained with an equally bright smile.

"Can we bring anything tomorrow night?" Hotch asked with a smile.

"Just love and acceptance. Are you planning to announce the changes tomorrow night?" Rossi asked.

"Yes. I want us out in front of it before Strauss has a chance to poison the well with unfounded accusations. She's not happy at all about this abrupt change, but John Carpenter was even less happy about hearing how she believed she was going to catapult over him to Director. It's a mess, really, but I get to keep my team intact. I'll explain it tomorrow night.

"Why don't you sneak Prentiss out and take her home. Jack is off with Jess and her wife, Chelsea, so I can hang around. I was just doing laundry at home," Hotch explained with a smile.

Rossi extended his hand as both men stood. "Aaron, thank you for seeing the bigger picture. You know all of us. We won't ever let our personal lives get in the way of our jobs. We're all committed. Hell, probably more so because we all have so much to lose. I'm glad you'll be watching our backs here at home."

Both men nodded and Rossi left the office. Hotch was grateful for such a good friend. It was nice to have people on whom one could count. It made life fuller.

…

 _[E/N: Thank you all for reading. We're winding down. The story is 25 chapters. I hope you'll hang around!]_


	20. Chapter 20

_[A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! FYI – I posted a Side Shot last night of the Morgan/Garcia relationship. I hope you'll take a look at it! I don't own Criminal Minds. I don't infringe.]_

…

Chapter 20.

Reid hurried out of the grocery and climbed into the newer Volvo he'd purchased with Aaron's help. The argument they'd had was monumental.

" _I was thinking, Aaron, maybe I could buy Haley's Honda from you and donate my Volvo to a high school. It still runs great, and maybe it could be a class project or something to restore it. I have enough money in my savings to buy the Honda, and I could use the charitable deduction," he'd suggested._

 _He saw Aaron look at the Volvo in the driveway and then glance at the Honda in the garage. He turned to Spencer and smiled. "How about we sell Haley's car and get you a newer Volvo. It doesn't have to be brand new if you don't want, but newer than your car. You can donate it if you'd like, but I want to do this for you. I want to get you a better car."_

 _Immediately, Spencer was defensive. "You don't think I can afford my own car? I'm going to pay you rent for living here, Aaron, and I'll take a loan to buy a car. If you don't want me to buy Haley's…"_

" _No, Spence, it's not…"_

" _Yes it is. You look at me as someone you have to care for, and I'm here telling you…forget it. I'm not moving in. I'll keep my place. We can…"_

" _DAMMIT! No, Babe, don't do that. I was just…_

" _Oh, I know what you were just trying to do, Aaron. I can take care of myself and my mother," Spencer had shouted._

 _When Aaron kneeled in front of him and took his hand, Spencer was shocked. He tried to pull him up from the floor, but the older man wouldn't budge. "Please, forgive me if I've made you feel I don't find you capable of caring for yourself. That's not the case at all. I love you, Spencer. I want to be the one to take care of you. I want you to depend on me for things. I need that, love. I need you to need me. Please don't be offended. I'm just trying…" Aaron had explained, finally breaking down._

 _As it turned out, Spencer learned Aaron was carrying a mountain of guilt because of what had happened with Haley. He'd known there was some guilt, but not to the degree Aaron felt it. When he found out how deep-seeded the man's need was to be the caretaker, Spencer surrendered to it. They used Haley's car as a trade-in, and Spencer paid the difference so he didn't have a loan. Both of their names were on the car so Aaron could get the multi-car discount for the insurance, and Spencer moved in with Aaron and Jack a week later._

When his phone buzzed in his pocket, Reid snapped out of the memory and pulled it out to see a text from Aaron.

 _Where the hell are you? I'm ready to start the grill and the wine is decanted. Please come home. I miss you. A_

The smile was a mile wide on Spencer's face as he put the Volvo into gear and began driving in the direction of home. He knew Aaron was planning to make steaks, so he bought mushrooms to sauté, and a pound of German potato salad from the deli. The two men liked the tartness of it, and Reid thought it would go well with the steaks, plus, it was premade. Who could complain about that?

…

"Aaron?" Spencer called as he opened the kitchen door from the garage. When a black cat sauntered into the room, he was a little surprised, but he like animals…even though they usually didn't seem to like him.

Everyone at work called it " _The Reid Effect_ ," and he didn't appreciate it. The kids he knew loved him. Clooney, Morgan's dog, loved him. Why everyone thought animals and children didn't warm up to him wasn't anything he could understand.

"I'm changing Jack's bed. I'll be down in a minute. Turn on some music!" Aaron shouted down to him.

He placed the grocery bag on the counter before he went to the hall and took off his shoes and messenger bag, placing it on the bench next to Aaron's brief case. He took off his revolver and placed it in the gun safe the two men had in the front closet. He removed the smaller Glock from his sock and checked the safety, ejecting the clip before he placed it on the counter to take upstairs to the bedroom where they had another gun safe in the nightstand on Aaron's side of the bed.

The combination was Jack's birthday, and Reid always smiled when he programmed in the date. The boy's birthday was coming up, and they'd been talking about what to do. He was turning seven, and he was excited to have a party.

Since his birthday was after school started, they'd decided to invite the whole class, but the theme was up in the air. It was something they needed to consider, but that night wasn't for narrowing the choices for Jack's birthday. It was for Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid to spend time together as a couple. They'd worked hard to earn the time, and it was foolish to waste it.

Reid turned on the sound system, which blasted " _The White Album,"_ one of Aaron's favorites. In the kitchen, the younger agent put the potato salad in the fridge to chill and took off his tie, rolling up his sleeves to clean the mushrooms.

As ' _Back in the USSR'_ played, Spencer dampened a paper towel and began cleaning the mushrooms as Aaron had shown him, singing along. He heard the creaking of the stairs, and he couldn't withhold the smile.

"I'm very glad you're home, sweetheart. You think we could get Morgan to come over and build out some shelves in Jack's room? I'd also like to see about some built-ins in our office," Aaron suggested.

"I'd say it's better to ask _Garcia_ if Morgan can come over to build some shelves. He's trying like hell to get in her good graces, and she's holding him back with a sharp stick. He's going to have to work hard, but I'm pretty sure eventually they'll reach an understanding," Reid explained as he continued to clean the mushrooms.

He pulled out a cutting board and a knife, slicing them into thin strips as Aaron liked. Reid pulled out the sauté pan and placed it on the stove. "Are you going to tell me what happened today?" he asked as he retrieved the butter from the fridge.

Aaron had grabbed two wine glasses and poured an inch of the Bordeaux in each glass, handing one to Spencer. "Taste," he ordered.

Reid took a sip and enjoyed the warmth in his throat. He loved the Bordeaux. They'd bought a case, and in his opinion, it was money well spent. "As great as I remember. What happened today?"

Aaron took his glass and placed it on the counter, leading him into the living room where the sound system was situated on the crappy entertainment center Spencer hated. He bit his tongue about it because it was ugly. If they got Morgan to do some built-ins, that entertainment center was going to be in a scrap pile somewhere.

The senior agent walked over to the player and flipped through a few songs. When _"Blackbird"_ came on, Aaron took Reid's hand and the two slowly swayed in the living room on the rug they'd picked out together, which was beneath the coffee table Spencer's mother had sent to them after she'd perused an auction catalogue and bought it for them, based on the pictures of the house Spencer had shown her when they were in Vegas.

It wasn't really a song one could dance to, but it was one of Aaron's favorites, so Spencer held him close as the song played…and then played again.

"Like I told you, I'm getting promoted to Section Chief over the BAU. Strauss is moving over White Collar, and as you might guess, she's not exactly thrilled. I don't give a shit. I'm just happy I get to keep the team together," Aaron whispered in Spencer's ear as they swayed together.

Just then, the black cat Reid had seen earlier brushed up against his leg. He glanced down and pulled away, picking up the cat. When it didn't go apeshit, he was surprised. "Who's this?"

Hotch laughed as he pulled Reid and the cat back into his arms. "That's Sergio, Emily's cat. I volunteered for us to take care of him for a while. Emily can't be around him right now, so I thought maybe Jack might like to have him around. He's litterbox trained, which is in the laundry room. He's pretty standoffish. I think he was hiding under the couch, actually."

When _"I Will"_ started playing, Hotch took the cat from Reid and placed it on the floor, pulling the younger man into his arms and kissing him gently. "I love you, Spencer. I want you to remember that because we're going to go through some changes in the near future. Our family will always come first. I want you to keep that in the forefront of your mind. I know how much you hate change, but some change can be good," Hotch told him.

Reid nodded. He was change averse, but he had confidence in Aaron that things were going to work out for everyone involved. Aaron and Jack Hotchner were important, and if Aaron taking the Section chief job allowed the three of them to be together and for Jack to have his father home, it was a change for the better.

"I'm still not convinced Morgan will take the Unit Chief job, Aaron. He wasn't exactly thrilled when he was acting chief after you stepped down after…" Reid didn't finish the sentence. He didn't want to remind Aaron about the circumstances surrounding the time when he'd stepped down after he came back to work from being stabbed.

Aaron pulled Spencer back into his arms and grazed his lips against the lips who craved his touch. One thing Spencer loved about Aaron Hotchner was the make-out sessions they'd had since they moved in together. Oh, they made love, and Spencer had honed his fellatio skills since he and Aaron had gotten serious because the man loved his blow jobs, but kissing him? It was one of Reid's favorite things to do.

"Babe, I've figured it out. Morgan actually liked the job after he got into it and found his feet. Garcia is a non-starter. I'm pulling her and Lynch to form a new group which will report directly to me. I'm going to hire another Tech Analyst as soon as Garcia can get her head out of the clouds to help me interview someone.

"Anyway, Garcia won't answer to Morgan, just like you won't answer to me directly. You'll go through Morgan. It'll be fine, I promise. I love you, and I'm going to make sure things work out for all of us. You, Spencer Reid, are mine, and I take care of what's mine," Hotch explained.

"I'm not hungry. Can we go upstairs? Did you start the grill yet?" Spencer asked.

He saw the smile on Aaron's face, and he felt giddy. "I'll get the wine and put the mushrooms in the fridge. We can have them later or tomorrow, I don't care."

When Spencer Reid climbed the stairs fifteen-minutes later after cleaning up the kitchen, he was surprised to see candles. He didn't expect the candles.

…

 _[Thank you for reading. XOXO ML]_


	21. Chapter 21

_[A/N: Hi! Thank you for reading and for leaving me feedback. I greatly appreciate your interest. In case you're unaware, I've posted a side-shot story focusing on Morgan/Garcia, and Prentiss/Rossi. Click my author name to get to it. I don't own Criminal Minds, nor do I infringe.]_

…

Chapter 21.

 _Previously…_

 _He saw the smile on Aaron's face, and he felt giddy. "I'll get the wine and put the mushrooms in the fridge. We can have them later or tomorrow, I don't care."_

 _When Spencer Reid climbed the stairs fifteen-minutes later after cleaning up the kitchen, he was surprised to see candles. He didn't expect the candles._

##

Hotch was sitting on the bed in his boxer-briefs, waiting for his lover to come upstairs. They'd been able to really connect while Hotch had been working from home. Most nights, when Spencer got home from work, Aaron had a meal on the table and after Jack was in bed, they made love in many different ways. It was healing, if Hotch thought about it. He had a man who loved him, and that man wasn't at all hesitant to show him. More of that was what Aaron was hoping for that night.

When Spencer walked in, Aaron saw the smile and it lit up his heart. "Well, Genius, don't stay over there. Come here and show me who I belong to," he teased as he pulled out the lube from the nightstand and placed it on top.

He watched as his lover pulled off his shirt, undershirt, trousers, shoes, and socks. He joined Aaron on the bed in his tightie-whities, and when their skin met, Aaron couldn't help himself. He quickly slipped the underwear down and engulfed Spencer's hard cock into his mouth, taking as much of his lover into him as he could. The gasp he heard was reward enough.

An hour later, the two men lay panting next to each other with bright smiles on their faces. Spencer had given Aaron exactly what he'd asked for, pounding into him enough so the man would feel it the next day. He'd also sucked Aaron dry, which was a pleasure unto itself.

"You okay?" Aaron asked.

"I'm fine. I didn't hurt you, did I?" Aaron could hear the apprehension in Spencer's voice, but it was unnecessary.

He turned onto his side and rested his head on Spencer's chest, looking at the man of his dreams. "No. You definitely didn't hurt me. You did me just fine. So, you hungry? We don't have to grill anything," Aaron offered.

"Let's have some cereal while you explain to me how we all don't get brought up on charges for fraternization? We're a pretty close-knit group, Aaron. This won't go unnoticed by the brass," Spencer speculated.

The two men rose and slipped on pajama pants and t-shirts…Aaron's were blue checked cotton with a white t-shirt, and Spencer's were _Fibonacci Spirals_ pants with an accompanying black t-shirtAaron had found on a website. He bought them immediately, knowing how much Spencer would love them.

They made their way downstairs and went through the motions of finding bowls, cereal, and milk. Of course, Spencer coated his in sugar, but it was something Aaron had come to expect.

"Tomorrow night, we're going to come clean with everyone. We all have to be honest with each other regarding our relationships so we can stand together as a unit if there becomes some sort of accusations brought against us, or we'll be dragged through the mud. As long as we all remain professional and do our jobs, I believe we'll be fine. You'll be okay, right?"

They sat at the counter in the kitchen, and Spencer smiled at Aaron. "You're willing to tell the other members of the group you don't mind taking a jackhammer up the ass?"

Aaron nearly spit his _Crispix_ over the countertop. "Really? You think you're a jackhammer? You've got a good stroke, but baby, I'm much harder on you than you are on me," he reminded.

When Spencer giggled, Aaron laughed. "Oh, you don't think I can…yeah, you're right, I can't even play it off. I'm a total failure at trying to be a dominant partner. Thank you for humoring me," Spencer stated with a wink.

"You know we're equals, right? Jobs…sexual orientation…background? None of that matters, Spence. We're equal in this house. When decisions need to be made, we make them together, right?" Aaron asked.

When Reid smiled at him and lifted his spoon full of _Cheerios,_ they touched their spoons and ate their food. The bowls went into the sink and the two men climbed the stairs with clasped hands. After they settled into the king-sized bed, they both fell asleep. Both of them with happy smiles and contented hearts.

…

"Tonight, we're not sleeping in pajamas. What the hell is wrong with us? We're home by ourselves for the first time in…Hey, Dave," Aaron sputtered as he and Reid stood at the front door of Rossi's large home in McLean. When it opened before they'd knocked, the two of them were caught off guard.

The house was a gorgeous showplace. The whole team had been there for many gatherings, including JJ's wedding, but never as couples. Aaron wasn't worried…Spencer was.

"Hello, gentlemen. Please come inside," Rossi offered as he stepped aside to allow them entrance.

It seemed Spencer was stuck on the porch, so Aaron pulled his hand and he stumbled inside, offering a bottle of the Bordeaux they loved, along with a bottle of sparkling lemonade they'd found at a gourmet shop they stopped in their quest for a specific type of cookies Aaron remembered Rossi mentioning on more than one occasion.

"These are Amoretti cookies. Aaron said these are a favorite of yours," Spencer stated as he pointed to the box in Aaron's hands. Rossi took it and smiled.

"Spencer, why are you so nervous? I've known about you and Aaron for months. I'm in your camp, so stop with the panic. Come inside. Emily will love the lemonade," Rossi told two of them as they followed Rossi inside and out to the veranda.

Aaron saw Emily lighting candles with a smile on her face. She looked incredible. Obviously, the pregnancy agreed with her.

Spencer went over to speak with her, leaving Aaron a moment with Dave. "Are you going to announce tonight? I mean, she's only in her first trimester. Is she…um, this is a little awkward," Aaron stated quietly.

Rossi didn't hesitate to grab him and hug him tightly. "I'm fifty-three years old and I'm going to be a father. She's decided she wants to do this. I can't tell you how excited I am. I want to tell everyone who will listen."

Aaron hugged him back and when they pulled away, he saw Emily hugging Reid. The smile was enough to know she'd come clean. It was going to be a great night.

…

The group was enjoying several wonderful Italian dishes made by David Rossi, the 'Reluctant Gourmet' of the group. Incredibly, Garcia had been his handmaiden, or sous chef, through the process. Spencer had lent a hand with the chopping, and Aaron wore a bright smile he couldn't shed. The group was together, including Will and JJ, and everyone was having a great time, though Morgan was missing.

Once the mussels finished, Rossi placed them in a large bowl, and everyone carried out a dish or a basket of bread to the seating area. Glasses were filled, and everyone sat around the large, teak table Rossi had on the veranda of his home. He cleared his throat to offer a toast, as the man was known to do.

"I'm happy to welcome all of you to my home, once again. I always enjoy having you over, and this time is no exception, but it's more special, if that's possible. I just want to offer a toast to all of us. We've been to hell and back together, and we've come out ahead, thus far. I think that's an accomplishment to celebrate. Here's to the BAU," he offered. Everyone drank, touching glasses.

Before anyone could say anything, Rossi lifted his glass again. "I also have some very good, unexpected, but welcome, news to share. Seems I'm going to be a daddy," he stated as he looked at Emily. When she smiled and lifted her glass of lemonade, applause broke out around the table. Everyone was happy to hear the news, and no one seemed to be surprised. Aaron was sure either the women deduced it or Emily had told them. The only person who raised an eyebrow was Will LaMontagne, but then he just laughed. Never a dull moment.

After they all settled back into chairs, having given each other plenty of hugs, they began filling plates. The food was amazing, as it always was when Rossi invited the group over. The wine was incredible, and everyone was talking and laughing. When Aaron saw most of the plates were emptied and everyone was slowing down with food, it was the perfect time to explain things.

He tapped his knife against his wineglass and stood. When he had everyone's attention, he cleared his throat. "I'm glad we're all here together because I, too, have an announcement to make to all of you, my family. It will be announced on Monday at the Bureau, but I wanted to explain things to you first.

"We have quite a history within this group. As I look around, I can think of many times when we've each had issues, but I think we've all agreed to support each other through the good and the bad," Aaron began.

After he saw the smiles and nods of support, he continued. "On Monday, I will be taking over the job as Section Chief…of the BAU."

He stood there, waiting for any reaction. When Spencer stood next to him and pulled him into a kiss, Aaron heard the collective laugh. When the couple broke apart, the smiles were supportive. "I guess _that's_ not really a surprise, but since you know, it's time to explain some things.

"Dave, thank you for stepping up to keep the group together while things were being sorted out. Come Monday, you're relieved of your duty," Aaron began, watching everyone laugh, knowing how relieved Rossi would be at the news.

"If he accepts, Derek Morgan will be the new Unit Chief. Penelope and Kevin Lynch will be assigned to a new BAU IT Unit, reporting directly to me. They'll be hiring another tech so they're not stretched…" Aaron explained.

Garcia giggled. "Please tell me I don't have to make room for a _man_ in my lady lair." The group laughed.

"The only person relocating will be me. I'll be taking Strauss' old office upstairs, though I hate the idea. Garcia, you and Lynch will keep your respective offices, and we'll make room for the third analyst once that person is hired. The IT Group will work for the four Units assigned to me, and it will answer to me directly. We'll work out the parameters once things are official. I'll expect you to head up the group and assist me in the hiring process of the third analyst, Supervisory Tech Analyst. Yes, Garcia, it's a promotion.

"Derek has his own office, but he can move into mine if he wants. Prentiss, you're welcome to whichever office Morgan doesn't want if you want to get out of the bullpen. Spence, would you like me to find you a separate office out of the bullpen?" Aaron asked with a tender smile.

When Reid laughed and stood up again, he turned to Aaron. "If I had my way, I'd work with you upstairs. Since that's not possible, I'll stay where I am. I don't mind being in the bullpen with Anderson. He's not a bad guy," Reid responded.

Everyone laughed because Agent Jerry Anderson was a great guy, but he was truly as straight-laced as anyone they'd ever met. The chances of Anderson and Reid bonding were small, but it felt good to laugh. It felt good for all of them to let go for the night. It was a great moment.

…

 _[E/N: A few things straightened out, and a happy bit of fluff. This story is drawing to a close – three more chapters and an epilogue to come. Thank you for reading. Xoxo ML]_


	22. Chapter 22

_[A/N: Thank you so much for reading/favoriting/following/reviewing! I truly appreciate your time. I don't own Criminal Minds, nor do I infringe.]_

…

Chapter 22.

Reid was holding the laugh as he watched Morgan pacing inside his office on his first day back at the Bureau. Clearly something was on his mind, but Reid could tell he was trying to put things together in his head.

Reid knew Morgan had been briefed regarding the changes. He wasn't happy he's missed the party on Saturday, Reid could tell, but the baby had been feverish, so Morgan stayed home with him in case the little guy was coming down with something.

It also seemed to give Garcia a bit of breathing room as her place in the group was redefined. Reid had no doubt she'd be fine with it. She just had to adapt to being the lead in the IT group and having Kevin Lynch work for her. It was a stretch to see if the two of them could work it out, but he had confidence in Penelope. She was one sharp cookie. Everyone knew she'd make the most of it with a bright, pink-glossy smile on her beautiful face.

As he sat at his desk in the bullpen watching Morgan's stomping fit through the windown, his mind drifted back to that Saturday night two weeks prior. _It had been amazing with the group, and when Aaron pulled into the driveway of their home, the two lovers ran up the stairs to their bedroom where they made passionate love to each other. Reid felt free, based on the fact the truth was out. It was amazing._

He knocked on Morgan's doorframe and walked inside. "So, are you going to continue to pace, or are you going to come talk to us, _Unit Chief_?"

When Morgan swung around, Reid could see the droopy eyes and the irritation on his face. "What's wrong?"

"I can't get…Garcia won't…I'm not sure what the hell to do," Morgan stated quietly as Reid saw his shoulders slump in capitulation.

Reid held the smile, knowing Garcia was giving him fits. He remembered a movie he'd seen, and he decided to give Morgan a little shit. " _To understand the livin', you gots to commune with the dead."_

When Morgan looked at Reid with a bewildered look, the younger agent couldn't help laughing. "That was from ' _Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil'._ It was spoken by the voodoo priestess, Minerva, when she was invoking the assistance of her late husband, Dr. Buzzard. The south is steeped in voodoo culture.

"Voodoo practices are syncretic with Catholic and Francophonic culture of southern Louisiana as a result of creolization in the region resulting from the Atlantic slave trade…" Reid began before Morgan slapped him on the back of the head.

"Please, I'm begging, tell me how that shit you were just yammering about has any relevance regarding Penelope and me," Morgan snapped.

"Okay, I paraphrased it but it's relevant because, my dear friend, you need to shed yourself of your former mojo. You have to let your old personae die and prove to Garcia you're born again as a new man. In other words, you have to give Garcia time to be upset about the fact you married Magret when you wouldn't even consider dating Penelope. She's hurt. She needs time," Reid explained.

"That's it?" Morgan asked with a cocky smile on his face.

Reid grabbed his hand before Morgan walked out of his office. "Don't think you can play her like you've played every other woman in your life. Garcia knows all of your tricks, Derek. You've never been shy about sharing your conquests with us, and if you couldn't see the hurt on her face as she listened to your stories, you were blind."

Morgan laughed. "Seriously? You're out of your mind. Pen and me? We've flirted for years. She was dating Lynch for a few years, but she wasn't pining for me."

"And, while she was dating Kevin Lynch, you were dating…oh, about fifteen different women if I remember the Sunday brunch discussions after you kicked them out of your house. She's been in love with you as long as I've been in love with Aaron. That whole alpha male thing is ridiculous. Get over it," Reid ordered as JJ knocked on the doorframe.

"Acting Chief Morgan, we have a case," she stated as she handed Derek a file. He flipped it open and perused it before he turned to Reid.

"Go tell your man good-bye. Wheel's up in thirty. We're goin' to Atlanta," Morgan stated.

Reid nodded and left Morgan's office, taking the stairs to Hotch's new office. It was empty, which wasn't a surprise because there were three other units who vied for Aaron's attention, so he left a note for his man. He left his car keys in the event they were needed, and he hurried downstairs for the briefing. He prayed it wouldn't be too long until he was home again.

Jack's birthday was the following weekend, and he didn't want to miss it. It was an important date. It would be the first important date they spent as a family.

…

Spencer let himself into the house and felt his entire body relax. He'd been gone for three days. He quickly turned off the alarm so as not to have another "incident" which would summon the local police force because of a false alarm. It had happened twice, and Aaron had been upset both times. As soon as he was sure the alarm was deactivated, he sighed in contentment. It was more than wonderful to be home. The case had been difficult.

 _The UnSubs had been a handyman and a realtor. The two of them stalked the women who'd looked at properties in the buildings where they worked. When the realtor, Stanley Marks, took the women to the basement to show them the storage unit, the two men would take turns raping and then stabbing their victims._

 _With the fourth victim, Stanley didn't wait for Clarence, his younger brother, before he began the ritual. At seeing his brother in the act of raping the victim without him, Clarence went insane and tried to kill Stanley._

 _The team found them before the last victim was irreparably harmed. She would likely have lots of rehab and therapy in her future, but she was alive. That was a win. It was truly sad the team felt a sense of success, but they took the small victories where they could get them._

When he found the house to be empty, Reid unloaded his laundry into the basket and tossed a load of towels into the washer, just as he'd done since he and Aaron decided to make a life together.

He carried his go-bag upstairs and stopped to look in Jack's room, seeing the Lego house the two of them had made together months earlier. It was actually like a model of the house Aaron, Jack and he shared. The house Spencer counted as his home.

He unloaded his pockets and removed his weapons, placing them on the dresser to put away after a quick shower. The water felt pretty amazing. Or maybe it was just the feeling of being home. It always felt good to come home.

After he changed into sweats and one of Aaron's FBI training t-shirts, he went into the office he and Aaron shared and called his lover. "Hotchner," he heard, which meant someone was in Aaron's office because he had caller ID. Without answering, Reid disconnected the call and picked up his cell to send a text.

 _Sorry. Just got home. Should I pick up Jack from school? Did you get the birthday party worked out? ILY._

He placed the phone on the desk after sending the message and pulled out his laptop to type up his case notes from the Atlanta trip. The case was a success, and that was all Reid ever wanted. Every time the phone rang it twisted his gut but it was the job he'd signed on to do, and he'd do the best of his ability to bring in the guilty party. They tried to bring them in alive, but sometimes…well, it just didn't work out that way. In the end, they weighed the fact some wouldn't come home alive as heavily as they did that they'd stopped someone from carrying out horrible acts against humanity. As long as they stopped them, that was enough.

When his phone hummed on the desk, he picked it up and saw a text from Aaron.

 _I have a team in my office so I couldn't speak, but I'm so glad you're home. Jack's been back and forth about his party. He's having a hard time settling on a theme, so maybe you can get a straight answer from him. The bed has been quite lonely. I'll be home early so I'll pick up Jack. Crosley's team is in turmoil…one of them is leaving. Imagine that! : )_

Spencer laughed. The transient nature of the teams was something he hated to consider, but Prentiss had faked her own death once, and JJ had left the team upon orders from the Executive Branch. They came back, but they left to do what they had to do. It had become an accepted practice, whether anyone liked it or not.

Reid, however, had vowed he'd never leave the team willingly. He'd quit the Bureau before he'd allow them to put him in the position the others had found themselves in previously. His place was beside Aaron Hotchner to provide support to the man he loved as they raised his son together. He'd never forget nor abandon that position.

An hour later, he heard the back door open, and he smiled. Aaron was much earlier than Spencer had anticipated, so they'd have some time to reconnect before they picked up Jack at school. They'd play outside later so they could have family time, but it was time for Spencer and Hotch to have a little alone time.

Reid ran downstairs eagerly. "Okay, Chief, show me you missed me," he announced as he slid into the kitchen in his sock feet. It wasn't Aaron.

"You ruined _all_ of this. You have no business here. Nobody will miss you," he heard before he felt the two gunshots. One grazed his head, but the other one…it made purchase.

He heard the door close as he lie in the kitchen floor considering whether Aaron would replace the tile or just have it cleaned to remove the blood. He'd miss the house. He'd even miss Sergio, the cat. They hadn't really warmed up to each other, but there was potential.

Most of all, he'd miss Aaron and Jack. They had a new life they were trying to make together. It wasn't perfect, but it was a chance they were all looking forward to taking. It was a damn shame to waste it.

…

 _[E/N: YIKES! Sorry :-/ I'll update tomorrow night! Xoxo ML]_


	23. Chapter 23

_[A/N: I know! I'm mean! Thanks for your reviews. I think the traffic graph thingy is broken because it shows nobody has read this story since Monday, but I'm getting some reviews. It's strange. Anyway, there are two chapters left, then a side-shot, then the Epilogue. I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow. Enjoy!]_

…

Chapter 23.

Hotch's cell rang while he was in a meeting with Unit C of the BAU. They were effective… maybe not as effective as Unit A, but they worked well together. He had four teams, and if he showed partiality, the Director would sanction him, of that he was certain. They rotated through cases, but his old team…Unit A…they were given the most difficult cases. He was quite proud of their success rate.

"I agree with Agent Sparks. This case can be handled by having a phone call with the Sheriff's office in Scottsdale. Send them the information Lynch provided and offer them the profile. If there's a problem after, we can consider your team going on-site, Agent Crossley. We'll worry about the loss of Agent Henson when the time comes. We'll realign resources if necessary, but it will be fine," Hotch offered.

After the team left the conference room adjacent to his office, Hotch answered his phone, seeing it was Garcia. "Yes, Garcia? I have an in-house line," he teased. They'd been combing through resumes, and they were having a difference of opinion regarding what they should look for in another analyst.

"Yeah, I wasn't sure if you were alone. The Prince William County Sheriff's Department is heading to your house. Neighbors reported hearing shots fired," she explained.

Hotch was surprised, but then gathered his thoughts. "That's ridiculous. Reid just got home, but he…surely he didn't discharge his gun in the house? I mean, he's bad about remembering…" Hotch speculated with a smile. It sounded like something Reid would do.

He heard Garcia's voice hitch. "Hotch, they've called for a bus. Male, late twenties, GSWs to the head and abdomen," she whispered.

Aaron could hear the report coming over her speakers, and he froze. There was no way it was Reid. He'd have stopped at the store on his way home, and he'd have…he couldn't have been hurt. He had no enemies.

It was then Hotch remembered he had Reid's car keys and his car was parked at home. It meant Reid had taken a cab home from the airport and he _wouldn't_ have stopped at the store. It meant someone had come into his home and shot the man he loved. It meant it was happening again. He quickly stopped that train of thought and redirected.

"It must be a break-in or something. I'm going to head to the hospital…which hospital, Garcia?" he asked as he began gathering his things to leave. His hand went to his waist, and it was then he remembered he no longer carried a gun every day.

"Sentara. Do you want me to call anyone?" Garcia asked. He could hear the worry in her voice, but he had every faith someone had tried to break in, and Reid had defended their home. It would be just like him to do something of the sort, after all.

"No, I'll call you from the hospital after I see Spencer. I'll be in touch," he told her before he hung up the call. He hurried out of the office and down to the parking garage. He made it to his SUV, and once he was buckled in, he hit speed-dial one. It rang through to voicemail.

" _You've reached Spencer Reid. Leave me a message…"_

As he pulled out of the parking lot of Quantico, he waved to the guard, Jeremiah. He was a very nice guy, and Aaron knew Reid played chess with him sometimes during lunch out in the courtyard. He'd even watched them from his office a few times when he was on conference calls regarding one thing or another. If he and Reid couldn't have lunch together, he knew where to find the man he loved when he was in the office. He was playing chess with the guard amongst the azalea bushes that seemed to flourish in the courtyard. It always made him smile.

Aaron thought about heading home first, but he knew if Spencer had shot someone, he'd be at the hospital. When he pulled into the parking lot, he sent a text to Jess and Chelsea to see if either of them could pick up Jack from school, if necessary. It was only two in the afternoon, and he was sure either he or Spencer would be able to pick up the boy, but he always wanted a Plan B.

Once he was inside the hospital, he asked about a GSW that had come in through Emergency. "It's a John Doe, sir. I can't give you any…" the woman began before Hotch pulled out his credentials and showed them to her.

"Sheriff Jacks is in the waiting room down the hall. He'll have more information," she told him. He nodded and headed down the hallway she'd indicated, following the signs until he found the emergency waiting room. The Sheriff and a Deputy were sitting in the waiting room, one of them covered in blood.

Hotch walked over to the two men and offered his credentials. "I'm Aaron Hotchner, FBI. I understand someone was shot at my home. What have you got?"

Sheriff Jacks rose and extended his hand. "Agent Hotchner. We were called to the scene by two of your neighbors who heard shots fired. I have deputies on the scene questioning the neighbors. I didn't call in Staties because I thought you'd want to bring in your own people after I found out you were FBI.

"Based on what I've been told from my people on the scene, the garage door was left open. The intruder entered through the kitchen door and surprised the John Doe. He was unarmed. He was conscious at the scene when I first arrived, and he said to tell Aaron and Jack he loved them. Best we could figure is it's your brother. Davis, here, kept pressure on the abdominal wound and the head wound at the same time. Paramedics arrived on scene within minutes and took over. That's all I know, Sir," the man told him.

Just then, the Sheriff's phone rang. He answered it as he walked away. Aaron was stunned. Sean was nowhere in the area. Hell, he didn't even know where Aaron and Spencer lived, so it couldn't have been his brother. He needed more information.

Hotch rose from his chair and went to the admitting desk. "Hi. I need to see the John Doe. I might be able to identify the person," he offered, hoping the woman allowed him entrance.

"I'll page Dr. Evers. If the patient is stable, she'll probably allow you to take a look," the woman told him. He nodded before he walked back to the waiting area.

"Thanks, Sherwood." The sheriff hung up and looked at Hotch. "Is Dr. Spencer Reid any relation to you?"

Hotch knew the guy was a redneck, but if… "Yes. He is. Why?"

"My deputies found credentials on the dresser in the master bedroom, along with a wallet and two firearms. One was a Smith & Wesson 65, and the other was Glock with a discharged clip setting next to it on the dresser. Can you explain things to me, Agent Hotchner? They said the picture on the driver's license matched the vic." The man was speaking in a soft voice, but it felt like it was shouted at him.

"No, no. There had to be a break-in. Spence just got home from a case in Atlanta. Nobody would know he… _FUCK!"_

Aaron took a seat and scrubbed his hands over his face for a full minute. It couldn't be happening _again._

Once he gathered himself, he stood and walked over to Sheriff Jacks. "Please have your men stand down and guard the crime scene. I need to get my people out there. Thank you for your assistance, Sheriff Jacks."

He pulled out his phone and called Garcia. "Captain, my captain?"

"Garcia, get everybody to my house. Get the CSU out there. I want every inch of it combed for trace evidence. Someone broke into our home and shot the man I love. I want to know who the fuck it was so I can hunt them down," Hotch snapped.

"Of course, sir. How's Spencer?" she asked. Hotch could hear the worry in her voice, and he knew she loved Reid, just as the rest of the team loved him.

"I don't know, but as soon as I find out, I'll let you know," he told her honestly before hanging up. He went back to the front desk and smiled at the receptionist.

"I'm back again. I've been told by the Sheriff's Office you have my agent back there. What can you tell me about his condition?" he asked, trying to remain calm.

"Your agent? John Doe is an agent of…"

"He's Supervisory Special Agent, Dr. Spencer Reid. He's a member of the FBI's Behavior Analysis Unit. His mother lives in a mental health facility in Las Vegas. I'll get our HR department to fax over emergency contact information as soon as possible. In the meantime, what's his status," he ordered.

He could see the worry on the young woman's face, but he was having none of it. "Miss, is my agent dead or alive?"

He saw her swallow and type into her computer. "John Doe is in Trauma Room 3. The GSW to the head only grazed the left temple just above the ear. Head wounds of this sort bleed a lot, but it's not as serious as the GSW to his abdomen. They're prepping him for surgery, sir," she stated quietly.

Hotch released a deep breath. The shot to the head wasn't fatal. That was a relief. Of course, the shot to the gut was problematic, but he'd take the little victories where he could get them.

"Thank you. What's your fax number or e-mail address so we can get you the emergency contact information?" he asked.

She spouted it off and he sent it in a text to Garcia. He needed to be kept apprised of the situation because if things became more critical, he'd need to call Dianna and get her on a plane to Virginia, even though he knew how much she hated to fly. He loved Spencer Reid with all of his heart, and he'd built a relationship with his mother. He'd make sure she was there to be with Spencer during his recovery if she was able to make the trip.

Of course, there was the chance Spencer wouldn't make it. It wasn't anything he wanted to consider, but he remembered how profoundly it had affected Haley's family when she was killed and the local PD sent a chaplain out to break the news. He knew Spencer wouldn't want his mother to find out from a stranger. He'd be there with her to offer her support.

Of course, Hotch had no idea what the hell he'd tell Jack. His son loved Spencer as much as Aaron loved him. To lose Spencer would devastate the boy again, just as his mother's death had. As he thought about it, he had to consider it might be worse because Jack was older and understood more about losing a loved one, having gone through it previously. Aaron couldn't begin to contemplate what he'd do if he lost Reid. It wasn't fair to anyone.

…

A hand on his shoulder got Aaron's attention. He turned to see his team standing next to him with the exception of Garcia. Jess had sent a text she'd pick up Jack from school and take the boy to her home in the District after Aaron had given her a head's up regarding what was happening. Aaron and Spencer's house was crawling with cops, he was sure, and Jack didn't need to see that again.

"You should be at the house," he snapped at Morgan.

"Deputy Carpenter put the unit on stand-down. The other three teams are on scene. They're working with the Bureau's CSU, and they're canvassing the neighborhood. We're here for you and Reid. How is he?" Morgan asked as he sat down next to Aaron and placed a comforting hand on his back.

"Where's Nick?" Aaron asked.

Morgan laughed. "Momma Fran's in town. She's trying to get me and Pen in line. It's hard out there for a…" Morgan began. Hotch chuckled, knowing the rest of the phrase.

"Maybe that's what's wrong. Stop being a player and make an honest woman of her. That's one way to prove you're serious," Hotch stated.

"Now, pump ya breaks, Hotch. I don't see you puttin' a ring on Pretty Boy's finger," Morgan teased.

Aaron couldn't hold the tears. He looked at Morgan and didn't wipe them away. "If he makes it, I'll get that ring on him as fast as I can."

He saw Morgan back down with remorse on his face. "I'm so sorry. That was inappropriate of me, Hotch…"

"Find the person who shot him. Someone out there had an axe to grind against him or me. Find them," he stated before he rose from his chair and headed toward the front desk again to inquire about the status of the love of his life.

"He's in surgery, Chief Hotchner. As soon as we know anything," the girl told him. He prayed the thing they'd know was Reid had sailed through it. Anything else would be unacceptable.

…

 _[E/N: I know! Not another damn… I'll update tomorrow night. The story will finish on Monday unless I have some sort of a… I won't even put it out into the universe! I'd love to hear from you since it appears nobody is reading. Xoxo ML]_


	24. Chapter 24

_[A/N: Thank you for reviewing, and if you're reading, thank you as well! I know I left you with a cliffy last night, but here we are! I don't own Criminal Minds. I borrow.]_

…

Chapter 24.

Spencer felt his body floating. He knew that was impossible, but whatever drugs were flowing through his system had him feeling as if he was floating on a cloud. They also had him worried. He didn't want to get hooked on anything, yet again. He couldn't understand how the hospital had disregarded the notation on his file regarding no narcotics. He prayed he could wake enough to tell someone. Going through recovery again was going to suck. He moved an inch, and his whole body hurt. He concentrated on why.

" _You ruined all of this. You have no business here. Nobody will miss you_." Spencer remembered hearing those words as he hurried downstairs, thinking Aaron was home from work.

He racked his memory to remember who was the behind the gun. He remembered the feeling of pain against his head, and then the blasting pain in his abdomen. On the fringe of his brain, he remembered something, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what it was and why it wasn't clear. He had an eidetic memory, after all. He then remembered the drugs in his system and how they would fuck with his perceptions and memories.

He drifted off to sleep with the memory running through his head, not taking purchase. Every time he thought he had a firm grasp, it scuttled away on a wisp of smoke.

…

"Baby, I love you. Please, open your eyes," Reid heard as he blinked awake, seeing Aaron with at least a day's growth on his handsome face.

For a minute, Reid didn't remember why he was confused, but then it came back to him. It was clear. He turned to Aaron and asked, "Please tell me you stopped the pain meds."

Aaron stood and kissed him squarely on the mouth. "It took time to get Dianna to give consent for me to act as her representative to make decisions on your behalf. We'll have to rectify that as soon as I get you back home. After I found out what they had you on, I ripped that damn doctor a new one and nearly beat a male nurse over the head with your chart until they got their asses in gear and changed out the 'script. It's only mild painkillers now. Nothing you could get addicted to, I swear. I wouldn't allow that to happen, baby. I know what you went through, and I don't want a repeat.

"I pilfered your phone and called _John,_ whoever he is. You had him listed as your sponsor. He said he'd be here this evening.

"Is there anything you can tell me about what happened at home?" Spencer looked around the room for a moment, and then he took a deep breath.

"All I remember was coming home. I called you and then texted you. You responded. Later, I heard the door open downstairs so I ran down, thinking it was you. There was a person standing in the hallway wearing black clothes and a mask. It wasn't a ski mask. It was another kind of mask. It was black leather or vinyl and it covered the UnSubs head. I couldn't make out any facial features. Slight of build. There was a gun, but I didn't get a good look. The UnSub said, ' _You ruined all of this. You have no business here. Nobody will miss you.'_ After that, everything went dark," Spencer offered.

…

Aaron held his breath. He had no idea who might be stalking Spencer because there hadn't been the familiar warnings that came with stalkings…notes, gifts, attempts at making contact. It was completely out of the ordinary, and he didn't know what to do.

"You get some sleep, baby. I'll be right here when you wake up. I'll always be here for you," Aaron whispered as he took Spencer's hand and kissed it. He'd need to check on Jack, but he'd be there for Spencer because once again, something he'd done had sent someone out to kill someone he loved. He couldn't let it happen again.

…

Reid drifted in and out of consciousness for a period of time he couldn't pinpoint. He'd awakened to see various members of the team sitting with him, so he knew they were making sure someone was there twenty-four hours a day. He wanted to tell them not to go to so much trouble, but he couldn't seem to stay awake long enough.

At some point, he'd had to have another surgery because there was a bleed they hadn't found the first time. He didn't know how many days ago _that_ had happened, but he was glad to be awake again.

Seeing Morgan sitting next to him was a surprise. He'd been busy working on the case, as Garcia had told him when he woke once and asked about everyone. He expected Aaron, but he was sure his lover was with his son. Knowing the boy was safe was a relief. "How's it going with Garcia?" Reid asked as he raised the bed to a quasi-upright position, feeling a little bit of pain, but nothing he couldn't manage.

Morgan laughed. "I wish to hell things were going as well for the two of us as things are going for you, this hospital thing aside. Hotch has been jumping through his ass to try to find out who did this. I figured maybe I could keep you awake long enough so we could give him a little help before he has a damn stroke. Close your eyes and go back to that afternoon, Pretty Boy. You know the drill," Morgan requested.

Reid did as he asked because he knew Morgan was excellent at getting results on cognitive interviews. "Okay, um we got back, and I went into the house. Nothing was out of the ordinary. The alarm was set when I came in, so I turned it off," Reid remembered.

"Did you reset it?" Morgan asked.

Reid thought back to coming into the house, turning off the alarm, and emptying his go bag in the laundry room. He carried it upstairs to the bedroom to repack it, and he wanted to take a shower. After that, he went to the office to start typing up his report from Atlanta, and he phoned then text Aaron to let him know he was home. When he heard the door open, he'd hurried downstairs to greet the man he loved, eager for a little alone time.

"No. It was the middle of the afternoon, and I went upstairs to repack my go bag, shower, and change clothes. I was in the office when I heard the door open, so I hurried downstairs. I thought it was Aaron. We'd texted, so he knew I was home, and we had time before we needed to pick up Jack from school. I'd left my guns upstairs while I was getting ready to shower," Reid stated, referring to his 65 and his Glock.

"Okay. Take me through it after you got into the house. What did you see? What did you smell? How did you feel?" Morgan asked.

Reid took a deep breath and tried to remember what had happened. He remembered letting himself in through the garage and then the kitchen door. "I let myself in through the garage because I didn't have a house key. I'd left my keys with Aaron before we left for Atlanta. I turned off the alarm before it went off and the police came. I've done it a couple of times, and it pisses off Aaron because we have to pay a fine for nuisance calls.

"I didn't reset it because I feel…felt safe in the house alone. After that, I called Aaron. He answered the phone formally, so I hung up and sent him a text to let him know I was home. I don't bother him when he's working. That's something we adhere to religiously.

"After I showered, I got dressed and went to our office to type up my Atlanta case notes while they were fresh. Eventually, Aaron responded to my text," he replayed as he allowed his mind to wander.

"Before I finished up with my notes, I heard the back door open, so I ran downstairs, thinking it was Aaron because he would have parked in the garage, which was why I'd just left the garage door open. Unfortunately, it wasn't him. She was standing there with a gun pointed at me," Reid stated.

He opened his eyes and looked at Morgan. " _It was a woman!_ She was smaller than me, and she had a gun. She was wearing a leather mask that was fitted to her head, but I remember she had breasts evident in the leather top she was wearing. I remember the smell of leather and perfume. I don't know the scent, but it had hints of something…uh, maybe vanilla and jasmine? It wasn't like anything I ever smelled before, but it permeated the air," Reid explained, getting upset.

"Okay, so it was a woman. Can you remember anything else about her, Reid?" Morgan asked.

"Her voice wasn't natural. I remember that. She was using some sort of distortion device, I think. The cadence of her speech was familiar, but the tenor wasn't. It was affected electronically. I don't know what else I can offer," Reid told Morgan.

He was fighting sleep. He wanted them to find the person who'd shot him because he knew she was after Aaron or maybe Jack, but he needed his rest.

"Okay, Kid, you did…" That was all he remembered hearing before he succumbed to sleep.

…

Spencer woke, feeling a presence in the room. He turned to see Aaron asleep in the recliner in the corner. He glanced at the television to see the news was still playing, so he judged it was about 11:15. Aaron needed to be home with Jack.

"Aaron. Wake up."

When Aaron didn't move, he grabbed the plastic cup off the bedside table and tossed it at his lover. "Aaron, _wake up,"_ he called.

Spencer heard a laugh. He turned in the direction and saw someone step into the room. It was a woman. His eyes tried to focus without his glasses, and when they finally settled somewhat, he smiled. "Beth, what are you doing here? It's late."

Beth Clemmons had been to a few parties with the members of the BAU. Spencer knew Aaron and Rossi both counted her as a friend, so Reid had never questioned why she attended functions. As far as he knew, Prentiss didn't think anything of it either because she'd never voiced a concern to Reid regarding Rossi.

Beth laughed, and it nearly sounded hysterical. "You ruined it. You ruined everything. I'm supposed to be living in that house with Aaron, not you. He's not gay. You somehow convinced him he's gay, but he's not," she stated as she walked up to the bed.

Immediately, Spencer remembered the words she'd said. She'd been the one at the house. He took a deep breath so the panic didn't take over. He wondered why Aaron hadn't woken, but keeping himself alive was his primary goal.

"You were interested in Rossi. Aaron told me you and Dave had a lot in common. That's why you were invited to functions," he reminded her.

She laughed. "I used David to get to Aaron. He's an incredible man. He's a leader, really. He and I were developing a wonderful friendship until you stepped into it. You led him astray, _Dr. Reid_.

"I wasn't interested in David for anything more than a friend. I've been to all of Jack's soccer games and even some of his school functions. I'm meant to be that boy's mother. You're not a mother. Hell, you're not a woman. You're a man…though not much of one…and that's unnatural. You confused Aaron, but after you're dead and I'm there to nurse him through it, he'll come to his senses," she stated as she held a gun in her hands and pointed it at Reid's head.

He knew she wouldn't shoot him because it would draw attention, so he wasn't surprised when she pulled a syringe from her pocket. "This will be untraceable, Dr. Reid, but you won't be missed. I'll be right there to support Aaron and Jack. No worries," she stated as she injected the IV line with air.

He reached for it to jerk it out just as she cocked the gun. "I will shoot you if I must…well, I've already shot, haven't I? Believe me, I'll do it again," she stated.

He glanced over to see Hotch was still out. "So, what did you give him? He doesn't sleep that soundly, trust me."

"A dose of Ambien in his nightly decaf. You'd be surprised how easy it is to dose someone in a hospital," she taunted.

The door handle rattled, and when Beth turned toward it, Reid ripped out the IV line before he shot off the bed and jumped her. He had her on the floor with the gun in her hand secured. When the door opened, he was relieved to see it was Morgan.

"Thanks," he whispered before he lost consciousness. The pain racking his body was too much.

…

When he regained consciousness sometime later, he saw Morgan sitting with him. "Did I mess up my incision?" he asked.

"Popped some stitches. The scar is going to keep you out of a Speedo next summer. Oh, and I saw your naked ass in that hospital gown," Morgan joked as he scooted closer to the bed.

"You either have a dark cloud over your head, or you are a charmed bastard. We searched her home and found out how fucked up she really is. It's a wonder she didn't come after you sooner, really.

"Hotch believes the stressor was her father's recent death. He had Alzheimer's, and she was taking care of him until he became unmanageable at home. She had to commit him, and he contracted a staph infection at the facility that eventually killed him.

"Guilt is a horrible thing. Drove her over the edge. She'd called Hotch a couple of times while you were in Atlanta, but he was busy and didn't call her back. That must have been what caused her to finally snap and come after you. She was on a leave of absence from her job, so she had the time to stalk you. Thank God you jerked out that IV line," Morgan explained.

"I was watching a crime drama while we were in Atlanta, and an angel-of-mercy unsub killed elderly patients at a nursing home in the same fashion. Air embolisms can cause a heart attack, stroke, or respiratory failure, depending on where it manifests in the body. None of those forms of death sounded very appealing," Spencer stated with a smirk which caused Morgan to laugh.

"Okay, Genius. Enough about you. I need to plan a proposal and I need your help," Morgan told him.

Reid rolled his eyes. "Seriously? It's way too early for you to propose to Garcia. Hell, I'm shocked you even have her trust. Marrying you is probably one leap too far for her."

Morgan laughed. "Humor me. If you were going to propose to someone, how would you do it?"

That question, of course, was one Spencer Reid, Resident Genius, couldn't answer because it was one he'd never contemplated. He'd also never contemplated having children of his own because he'd never want to put a child through the hell he lived through on a daily basis just waiting for his mind to snap and send him into the hell in which his mother survived. He merely shrugged because he had no answer for Morgan that afternoon. "Let me sleep on it," he told him as he closed his eyes and dozed off again with visions of white flowers and people dressed in formal clothes walking around him while he stood naked, trying to hide a hideous scar on his abdomen where he'd lost a pound of large intestine due to a GSW. It was the strangest dream he'd ever had in his life.

##

"She's not fit to stand trial, Agent Hotchner. She's lost any grasp of reality she ever had, and we can't try her if she's unable to assist in her own defense. The only thing we can do is get her committed to an institution for the criminally insane. She'll be made a ward of the Commonwealth, and Family Court will assign her a Guardian. They'll work out where to send her for treatment," the U.S. Attorney explained.

Reid was a Federal Agent, so it became a Federal Case. Hotch was almost sorry because the Virginia court system was far more efficient and timely than the District Courts, but it was the legal process. Of course, when it came to commitment proceedings, the Feds would punt it back to the Commonwealth Attorney, so there was a chance it wouldn't get mucked up in red tape.

"I seriously don't give a shit who commits her. I just want to make sure she can't get out and come after my family again. I also want to be notified if she's ever released so we can make plans as a family. She tried to kill my partner, and next time it might be my son. I won't hesitate to shoot her if that's what it takes to ensure she'll never be released from an institution," Hotch stated emphatically.

With that announcement, he turned and walked out of the building and straight to the car waiting for him. One of the perks of being Section Chief was a driver. It certainly didn't suck.

He sat in the backseat and thought about everything he and Spencer had been through since they got their shit together. Changes hadn't ripped them apart, which was a relief. They'd even celebrated Jack's birthday in the solarium of the hospital. Jack cancelled the party with his friends when Spencer got shot, and he vowed to wait until his 'best friend' was well enough to attend. The members of Unit A had shown up to celebrate with them, and even though Spencer could only have a small bite of cake, they'd all had a great time.

Hotch thought about Halloween and then Thanksgiving and Christmas, all family holidays. The year before, he and Jack had spent the holidays at Rossi's house with Prentiss, Garcia, and Reid. Rossi called them all the "orphans" but they had a great time. This year, it would be family. More changes were coming, but everyone in the BAU was excited.

Babies would be born, and people would make permanent decisions regarding sharing lives with others. It was all scary stuff, but they'd get through it together. They were a family. "If anyone objects…fuck them," Aaron thought with a smile.

...

 _[E/N: This is sadly the end of the regular story. Tomorrow night I'll post the sideshot if you're interested, and then on Monday, the Epi. I truly want to thank you for reading and reviewing. Bless you. xoxo ML]_


	25. Chapter 25

_[A/N: Thank you to everyone who read or left a review. The site shows nobody's reading, but I'm in hopes it's wrong. I've enjoyed posting this story, and I'm working on another which isn't ready to post yet. Follow me if you're interested. I don't own Criminal Minds. I only borrow.]_

…

Chapter 25 – Epilogue

"You two act like I'm dyin'," Jack complained as they loaded Aaron's old SUV for him to take to UVA. He was off to college, and neither of his dads was taking it well.

 _The road to getting to that moment in time had been filled with fights, pain, sorrow, uncertainty, but mostly love, joy, gratitude, and family. That was the most important part of their journey. They were a family._

 _Aaron and Spencer had married a year after Spencer was shot and the Commonwealth of Virginia had legalized same-sex marriage. It was a regular day at work, the two of them sharing lunch in Hotch's office. Spencer nervously handed Aaron a cupcake with a platinum ring on top, ala Garcia. He sunk to his good knee and proposed, and when Aaron started to cry, he was worried he'd made a grave miscalculation of the situation._

" _Look, we don't have to get married. If you'd rather…" Spencer began back-tracking._

" _No! I want to get married. I just never imagined you'd propose to me. I've been trying to concoct the perfect proposal, and I always feel like I'm not doing you justice. Thank you for taking that burden off my shoulders. I've never been so happy in my life," Aaron told him. The wedding wasn't too long in the planning, and it was simple and full of love and family._

 _They still lived in their white brick fairytale home where they raised Jack to be a good kid. They had their fair share of parenting moments…Jack sneaking out, getting busted with pot, fake IDs, broken hearts…but the three of them came out of it on the better side._

 _Jack had a soccer scholarship to UVA, and his grades were excellent. Both men were proud of him. Both men would miss him, but it was the natural cycle of life. Things changed, and they'd learned to roll with the punches._

 _Aaron was promoted to Deputy Director three years after he was appointed Section Chief. John Carpenter had taken over as Director when the job became available, and it was at that time Aaron learned John Carpenter had been Spencer's NA sponsor. John told him about the relationship, because Spencer never said a word regarding the identity of his sponsor. He carried the confidentiality of the support group in his heart. He'd never come in on a fellow LEO in recovery like himself. It was another thing Aaron respected about him. He had more integrity than anyone Aaron had ever met._

"Yes, well, you're leaving the nest, Jack, and it's going to be quiet around here without you," Spencer told his adopted son.

 _The adoption had taken place when Jack was thirteen. Aaron had a health scare by way of a benign tumor on his left kidney, so they finally had the discussion about what would happen to Jack if something happened to Aaron. They decided on adoption after a discussion with Jack, and Garcia had planned a huge party when it was final. She was still the event coordinator in the group, although, she worked from home because she had Nicky and little Franny to care for._

 _Morgan had finally straightened out his act enough to propose to Garcia…well, he proposed eleven times over their time together, but number twelve finally stuck. The wedding was colorful, to say the least, but as Spencer walked Prentiss down the aisle as the best man and maid of honor, they just laughed at the kaleidoscope of color into which they'd joked they'd fallen. Franny was born ten-months to the day after the wedding. Garcia held out on the man until she got him down the aisle, and they'd been very happy to welcome a baby girl into their home._

"Aw…I'm sure you two can find something to do while I'm gone," Jack teased as he loaded his last bin of stuff in the back of the older SUV.

"Of course we can. Naked Saturdays are something I've always wanted to try," Aaron stated as he carried out a large, wrapped box and placed it in the back of the SUV.

Spencer laughed. Over the years, Aaron had lightened up considerably, and they'd grabbed every bit of happiness they could for themselves. Their jobs were serious, but they held onto their senses of humor and had many cherished memories of midnight ice cream runs and sick days the three of them had taken over the years to go do something as a family when life was just too busy at the FBI and they needed to regroup.

"God, you two are so gross. Anyway, I have to get on the road to pick up Anna. Aunt Jess is going to insist she repack the truck, and I wanna get to Charlottesville before five. Maybe do me a favor and call her? Ask her to not hold us up. I talked to a teammate at training camp, and he said parking sucks," Jack told them.

"I still don't know why you won't allow us to go down and help you set up your stuff," Aaron complained. It had been an argument, but Spencer had sided with Jack.

"Babe, we've talked it to death. I know you want to make sure he gets settled, but it's time to cut the apron strings. Anna's not letting Jess or Chelsea go either. It's time for them to learn to be self-sufficient. If he needs us, he'll call, right?" Spencer asked as he turned to Jack, almost not recognizing the handsome young man standing before him, looking very much like a younger version of the love of Spencer's life.

Just as Jack was about to respond, a black SUV pulled up in front of the house. Dave and Elise Rossi hopped out, walking toward the house, each with a box in their hands. "Sorry we're late, but we had to drop Em at the airport for that custodial in Nashville. Jack, it seems you're ready to go," Dave Rossi stated as he placed his hand on the shoulder of his daughter, Elise Prentiss Rossi.

"How's my goddaughter?" Aaron asked as he opened his arms for the beautiful eleven-year-old daughter of Emily Prentiss and David Rossi. They'd chosen not to marry, but they were still together. Both still wearing gold bands on their fingers with a Latin inscription only Reid understood. Reid had never shared the words with Aaron, but he'd assured him it was a beautiful sentiment.

Emily was still at the Bureau but no longer in the BAU. She was a criminology trainer and she loved it, though she still jumped in when old cases came up for review at parole time. The Nashville case had been one that had stuck with her, so she'd approached Aaron to allow her to make the visit. He agreed, which was why she wasn't there to give Jack a hug.

"I'm fine, Uncle Aaron. These are Aunt Penny's cookies for you and Uncle Spence. The other box is for Jack to take with him. Mommy and I made them this morning before she had to leave," Elise told them.

Jack took the box from Dave and gave him a hug. "Look out for these two, will you? I'm pretty sure they're going to go into some sort of mourning period. I know Dad's busy at the Bureau, but Pop's on sabbatical writing that book. Don't let him mope around, Uncle Dave. You remember how he was when Grandma Dianna passed," Jack whispered.

 _They all remembered how Spencer had suffered when his mother died. She'd come to their small wedding, and she'd been happy to be there. She and Jack had bonded, and every night while she was visiting, she'd lecture Jack regarding fifteenth century literature. He'd sit and listen to her go on as long as Aaron and Spencer would allow, and the day before she left to return to Nevada, she'd taken Jack aside while his fathers were at work and Jess and Chelsea were waiting in the kitchen to take him and Anna to the zoo after Dianna left._

" _I need a favor from you, Grandson. You know how much your dad, Aaron, loves you? Well, that's how much I love my little boy, Spencer. One of these days, I'm not going to be able to be here to take care of him, but I hope you'll step into my place and make sure he eats, gets plenty of rest, and has a happy life. Can you do that for me?" she'd asked the boy who was much too young to be saddled with that responsibility._

" _S-Sure, Grandma," he promised._

 _When Dianna returned to the sanitarium, she stopped taking her meds, unknown to the staff, and saved up a week's worth of them, taking them all at once. When they found her body in her room, they found a simple note._

" _Spencer, my darling boy,_

 _You're in good hands. I know you'll be well cared for. I can finally get some rest without having to worry about clawing out someone's eyes._

 _Jack and Aaron will take good care of you…better than I was ever able to do._

 _I love you so much,_

 _Mom"_

Dark days ensued, but they got through them as a family, just like everything they'd ever gone through. They loved each other harder through the bad times.

"Of course, I won't let that happen, Jack. Watch the ladies. I held out for fifty years before I let myself get trapped," Dave joked.

Elise laughed her lilting laugh. "You're full of it, Daddy. You were married three times before Mommy and I roped you in." They all joined her in the laughter. It felt good to laugh.

Jack hugged all of them and finally got into the SUV, getting on the road an hour later than he wanted. On his way to pick up his cousin, Anna, he made one last stop to see his best friend, Henry LaMontagne. Jack knew the younger boy was upset, and he intended to make sure Henry knew Jack wasn't going to leave him behind.

He pulled into the driveway, seeing Henry kicking the soccer ball against the net Will and JJ had for him in the side yard. Jack hopped out and walked over, diving in front of the goal to deflect the ball before Henry knew he was there. He felt a scrape on his side and saw he'd ripped his shirt on a sprinkler. "Fuck," he moaned as Henry ran up.

"What the hell were you doin'?" Henry LaMontagne asked, a little bit of his father's Cajun draw evident in his voice. He was five-ten, white-blond haired and blue eyed. He was definitely a mix of his mother and father.

"I stopped by to say good-bye. I wanted to see you. Nothing changes between us, H. You're still my best friend," Jack told him as Henry helped him up from the grass.

"Let's go inside and bandage it. Momma and Daddy are shoppin'," Henry explained.

The two went into the house where Henry directed Jack to sit at the counter in the kitchen. "Where's Claire?" Jack asked as Henry went to the hall closet to retrieve the first-aid kit.

"Down the street with Maddy Vance. Shirt off, Hotchner," the younger ordered.

Jack did as he was told. When he felt a cold sting at his side, he hissed. "You're fine. You've had worse, Hotch. So, are you gonna e-mail me, or do you just put me away like all of your other childhood toys?" Henry asked.

"Fuck, that hurts," Jack snapped.

"Not as much as my heart hurts," Henry snapped back.

"Jesus! I told you, this doesn't change anything. We're waiting. You're fifteen, and I'm not ready for jail, Henry. You know how I feel about you, and I know how you feel about me. Why the hell do you think I'm gonna get a place with my cousin? I don't want to live in the dorms, and thankfully, my dad was able to make it happen for me. When you start down there, I'll make Anna move out, and we'll live together. Keep your damn grades up," Jack told him as he touched the boy's face before their lips brushed. Jack didn't deepen it because they didn't want to get carried away, what with not knowing when JJ and Will or even Claire, Henry's little sister, might return. Besides, they'd have plenty of time for all of it in the future.

They'd both excelled in school, thanks to Spencer Reid. Jack was entering college at seventeen. Henry was a junior at fifteen. They had feelings for each other, but they'd never fully acted on them aside from a hug, hand holding, or a soft kiss. They were waiting for the rest of it. They were too young to make the adult decisions involved in permanent relationships, and they had a long road to travel, but they hoped at the end of it they could have as good a relationship as Jack's dads, Aaron and Spencer, or Henry's parents, Will and JJ. They had a large, loving family they knew they could count on for support.

Henry looked at Jack with worry on his face. "What are we gonna do if my momma and daddy get pissed 'bout this, _chére?_ You're dads will be cool about it, but Will LaMontagne? I ain't sure he's gonna be fine with havin' a son who's a fag," Henry explained.

Jacked touched his face and brushed his lips over Henry's again, hoping to comfort him. "Let's worry about one thing at a time, babe. We're not ready to come out yet, so chill. When the time comes, we'll go to my dads first. They'll help us explain it to Aunt Jayje and Uncle Will. At the end of the day, Henry, we belong together. If anyone objects…too bad," Jack said as the two embraced.

FIN

 _[E/N: I know…unexpected, but I liked the idea of it, so there you go. If the Epilogue confuses you, maybe go to the side-shot and read the third chapter which tells the background for how the group got to the epilogue. Thanks again for the support. Xoxo, ML]_


End file.
